Here's How BMW Recycles Its Cars

evdok · 09-26-2016, 07:38 AM

Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

Even longer video!

Quote:

BMW takes sustainability quite seriously. The automaker's official Recycling and Dismantling Center was opened in 1994, and thanks to a partnership a few years later, BMW's old-car drop off points now accept Renaults, Fiats and MG Rovers as well.

In this 50-minute supercut, you can see multiple pre-production (?) cars getting their airbags popped, fluids drained (including from the shock absorbers), bodies stripped and exhausts cut out, with the remains getting crushed and compressed soon after. It's not a BMW takes sustainability quite seriously. The automaker's official Recycling and Dismantling Center was opened in 1994, and thanks to a partnership a few years later, BMW's old-car drop off points now accept Renaults, Fiats and MG Rovers as well.

In this 50-minute supercut, you can see multiple pre-production (?) cars getting their airbags popped, fluids drained (including from the shock absorbers), bodies stripped and exhausts cut out, with the remains getting crushed and compressed soon after. It's not a comedy.

Of course what really sets BMW's end-of-life effort apart is that after melting the steel and aluminum familiar to most automakers, the Bavarians also have to deal with large quantities of used carbon fiber from the i3 and i8. The disassembly of these hybrid cars starts out the same as for traditional vehicles, but after the battery pack is removed from the chassis, the carbon body gets cut into small pieces and heated up. After the treatment, BMW ends up with a sheet of raw material it then reinforces with fibers, turning the plastic waste into a strong synthetic fabric that can be used again in new cars.

While the industry average for the recyclability is at 80 percent today (with over 25 million tons of materials getting recovered from old vehicles), BMW says as much as 95 percent of its city car can be recycled. In other words, don't expect to see any i3s languishing in your local scrap yard in the coming decades.

And more videos, including BMW Waste Management, BMW Aluminum Recycling and i3 Recycling:

BMW Waste Management

Aluminium Recycling

BMW i3 Recycling

Cuz5150 · 10-04-2016, 09:20 PM

I'm sorry if this is a repost, & damn, the Germans are anal.

jpnh · 10-08-2016, 08:49 AM

The loss in $$'s and avail of parts alone is quite shocking

SCOTT26 · 10-09-2016, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpnh

The loss in $$'s and avail of parts alone is quite shocking

No. What can be used is recycled therefore accommodates many areas assisted in the dismantling.
Every BMW development car, prototype and even press cars are crushed and destroyed. Even all those M2's you have seen flying around the Ring.
All those new 5er prototypes seen in the scoop photographs will start to be destroyed in a matter of weeks.

Efthreeoh · 10-10-2016, 06:25 AM

All manufacturers do this. To them, they are just cars....

clbmw · 10-10-2016, 11:18 AM

Sorry I started to watch this and seeing the German guy with the forklift I cannot stop thinking about this classic...

lofrese1 · 10-10-2016, 11:22 AM

The saddest video I've ever watched! ?

5eries619 · 10-10-2016, 11:34 AM

it hurt watching this video. I've seen documentaries on death row in mates execution and I can't decide what's worst. the human being killed for killing someone or watching a perfectly restorable BMW demolished and turned into a rubiks cube.
??

spencers · 10-10-2016, 11:40 AM

The way that engine popped out of the engine bay was deeply saddening!

But glad to see BMW is recycling parts and in a nicely efficient and clean way!

phantomray · 10-10-2016, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clbmw

Sorry I started to watch this and seeing the German guy with the forklift I cannot stop thinking about this classic...

I watched the whole video....

PawnStar · 10-10-2016, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evdok

Extremely graphic video. Could not watch the atrocity of euthanizing these innocent cars. Very disturbing. I may write my congressman.

jpnh · 10-10-2016, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PawnStar

Extremely graphic video. Could not watch the atrocity of euthanizing these innocent cars. Very disturbing. I may write my congressman.

Looks more like a concentration camp from ww2

/sarcasm

AlexLou1222 · 10-10-2016, 12:51 PM

Wow this is sad, why don't they just sell them to the used car market? The cars weren't even that old and worth some money! Or offer them to junk yards where people can get replacement parts!

I understand some preproduction/test mules cars can't be sold for reliability reasons, but they can still be parted out!

c63er · 10-10-2016, 12:55 PM

If they were really smart they would make a racing series based on these cars.

Which development car is faster. There are probably some real gems in there like a 1 series with a v12 or something as nutty.

pruettfan · 10-10-2016, 02:07 PM

Interesting level of detail no doubt driven by environmental regulations. Back in the old days they would just put a car in the crusher and go to town. Frankly I am happy to see they are removing those fluids responsibly.

Bx Tpr · 10-10-2016, 02:34 PM

?

KIRBOCHARGED · 10-10-2016, 04:44 PM

Some of these cars would cost more to fix than they are worth.

clbmw · 10-10-2016, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by c63er

If they were really smart they would make a racing series based on these cars.

Which development car is faster. There are probably some real gems in there like a 1 series with a v12 or something as nutty.

Haha M160i, I'd like to drive that

raysspl · 10-10-2016, 05:28 PM

We get that it's ecological but those parts alone can be used more efficiently in the used parts market, bar none. It requires much more energy to recycle than to break down parts to be sold.

WickedNy · 10-10-2016, 05:57 PM

They forgot their disclaimer

"No bmws were really hurt when making this film"

bmwerdna · 10-10-2016, 06:13 PM

Aren't they crushing them because they're concept vehicles or pre-production vehicles?

Pentium · 10-10-2016, 06:17 PM

Wow, this video is really sad, all those beautiful cars!

But even though they are special with recycling!

10-04-2016, 09:20 PM	#2
Cuz5150 Major 224 Rep 1,489 Posts Drives: 06-M3ZHP/04-M3 Vert/02Duc998 Join Date: May 2008 Location: NJ iTrader: (0)	Disposal of BMW cars I'm sorry if this is a repost, & damn, the Germans are anal. __________________ -Diplomacy is saying, "nice doggie while trying to find a rock"- 07-Z4 coupe-Black/Black/6MT/sport/premium/X 04-M3 vert-Black/Imolla/6MT/Cold/Xenon/HK/ 06-M3 Coupe-Mystic/Black/6MT/ZCP/Xenon/HK/ 09-135i- AW/Bk-Lette/6MT/M-pac/Nav/Hi-Fi/Usb-Ipod/SOLD
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10-08-2016, 08:49 AM	#3
jpnh Brigadier General 1430 Rep 3,395 Posts Drives: NA Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	The loss in $$'s and avail of parts alone is quite shocking
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10-10-2016, 06:25 AM	#5
Efthreeoh General 19188 Rep 19,721 Posts Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster Join Date: May 2012 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	All manufacturers do this. To them, they are just cars.... __________________ A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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10-10-2016, 11:18 AM	#6
clbmw Major 643 Rep 1,491 Posts Drives: 320d M135i Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Sorry I started to watch this and seeing the German guy with the forklift I cannot stop thinking about this classic...
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10-10-2016, 11:22 AM	#7
lofrese1 Private First Class 265 Rep 190 Posts Drives: BMW F90 M5 Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Newyork iTrader: (0)	The saddest video I've ever watched! ?
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10-10-2016, 11:34 AM	#8
5eries619 Private 30 Rep 76 Posts Drives: 528i x drive Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: San Diego iTrader: (0)	it hurt watching this video. I've seen documentaries on death row in mates execution and I can't decide what's worst. the human being killed for killing someone or watching a perfectly restorable BMW demolished and turned into a rubiks cube. ??
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10-10-2016, 11:40 AM	#9
spencers Captain 199 Rep 649 Posts Drives: Sthrizzle Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: A iTrader: (6)	The way that engine popped out of the engine bay was deeply saddening! But glad to see BMW is recycling parts and in a nicely efficient and clean way!
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10-10-2016, 12:51 PM	#13
AlexLou1222 First Lieutenant 96 Rep 374 Posts Drives: 2015 X6M 2014 X1 Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Vegas baby! iTrader: (0)	Wow this is sad, why don't they just sell them to the used car market? The cars weren't even that old and worth some money! Or offer them to junk yards where people can get replacement parts! I understand some preproduction/test mules cars can't be sold for reliability reasons, but they can still be parted out!
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10-10-2016, 12:55 PM	#14
c63er Captain 881 Rep 673 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: BMW iTrader: (0)	If they were really smart they would make a racing series based on these cars. Which development car is faster. There are probably some real gems in there like a 1 series with a v12 or something as nutty. __________________ Nice cars
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10-10-2016, 02:07 PM	#15
pruettfan Brigadier General 1627 Rep 3,402 Posts Drives: 2017 M2, LBB, DCT, Exec Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chandler, AZ iTrader: (0)	Interesting level of detail no doubt driven by environmental regulations. Back in the old days they would just put a car in the crusher and go to town. Frankly I am happy to see they are removing those fluids responsibly.
	Appreciate 0

10-10-2016, 02:34 PM	#16
Bx Tpr Captain 124 Rep 891 Posts Drives: 23 CSL Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NY iTrader: (8)	? Attached Images
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10-10-2016, 04:44 PM	#17
KIRBOCHARGED New Member 3 Rep 7 Posts Drives: X3 28i Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Michigan iTrader: (0)	Some of these cars would cost more to fix than they are worth.
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10-10-2016, 05:28 PM	#19
raysspl Brigadier General 992 Rep 3,000 Posts Drives: walking, bicycle, & bus Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0)	We get that it's ecological but those parts alone can be used more efficiently in the used parts market, bar none. It requires much more energy to recycle than to break down parts to be sold. __________________ re
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10-10-2016, 05:57 PM	#20
WickedNy Get Some 226 Rep 760 Posts Drives: 07 Z4 3.0si Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Long Island iTrader: (1) Garage List 07 z4 3.0si [0.00]	They forgot their disclaimer "No bmws were really hurt when making this film"
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10-10-2016, 06:13 PM	#21
bmwerdna New Member 0 Rep 22 Posts Drives: E91 6MT Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Lancaster, PA iTrader: (0)	Aren't they crushing them because they're concept vehicles or pre-production vehicles? __________________ 2011 E91 Crimson Red 328i xDrive 6MT
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10-10-2016, 06:17 PM	#22
Pentium Captain 332 Rep 830 Posts Drives: BMW 335i Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 BMW 335i [10.00]	Wow, this video is really sad, all those beautiful cars! But even though they are special with recycling! __________________ The Best Is Yet To Come! E36 - E39 - E53 - E60 - E87 - E90
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