Just what happens to all of the parts on your car when it’s sent to the junkyard? Some parts are actually removed and reused, recycled, or disposed of in a different way. As for the bumper on your car, it differs depending on the material. Plastic car bumpers may be recycled or disposed of through the regular waste cycle.

If you have replaced your broken bumper or gotten a new car and wondering what happens to your plastic car bumper, here’s how to dispose of it properly.

Take It to A Recycling Center

Car recycling is actually one of the largest growing industries in the world today. More and more cars that would have been sent to the junkyard end up being recycled for parts, making sure almost every single component is salvaged and reused in some way. A lot of bumpers made with Thermoplastic Olefin actually get recycled and reduce overall energy consumption. So, if you can, take your used plastic bumper to your local recycling center! If that doesn’t work, reach out to a local auto body shop to see if they will take it.

Tom Harbid at Cash Cars Buyer says this about recycling car parts:

“Years ago, there was a junk car problem across the world. In recent years, however, car recycling has grown into one of the largest industries in the world.

The auto industry is making significant efforts to recycle every single component in a junk car, even used car bumpers.

There are about 100,000 metric tons of used TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin) bumpers, every year. And the more efforts made towards recycling all of this plastic, the more of an energy consumption reduction there will be.”

Take It to the Landfill

A plastic car bumper just may not be entirely recyclable. If that is the case, then the best course of action would be to take it to your local waste facility or dump. A car pound will usually accept old or used parts, including an old or damaged plastic car bumper.

Here’s how Blue Planet Recycling, a recycling company in Canada, goes through their bumper recycling process:

“Once bumpers are collected at a central sorting facility, roughly 10% are selected for refurbishing and resale into the used bumper market. The remainder are shredded, ground and pelletized in a compounding process that makes PP pellets. A car bumpers unique qualities of impact resistance and tough ruggedness are then utilized for finished products such as plant pots, DVD cases and many packaging options.”

Call Dumpster Pick-Up Services

If all else fails, a garbage removal service may be the best thing to do to properly dispose of a car bumper. If you are unable to get to a recycling center or another waste facility, garbage pick-up services can come to you and transport your waste for you. A car bumper might not be able to fit into your current car anyway, so waste disposal services are able to carry pretty much anything and take it to a recycling center or garbage disposal center.

At Green Bag Pickup, we offer a wide variety of waste disposal options, with services readily available online. Reach out to us to see what we can offer you.