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HybridCars.com’s Brad Berman Examines Recycling in Auto Industry
Recycling is on the upswing in the automotive industry, but what else can be done? Brad Berman tells us
what is on the horizon.
Most conversations about the environmental impact of cars focus on drivetrains — hybrid versus
diesel versus electric, etc. At our two websites, HybridCars.com and PluginCars.com, we take a more
holistic view by examining the eco-impact of the entire product lifecycle. For example, I recently
interviewed Debbie Mielewski, technical leader, Plastics Research Group at Ford. She said, “One day,
I hope to see the automotive world go totally compostable, removing the use of petroleum-based
parts 100%.”
Ford Technical Leader of Plastics Research Debbie Mielewski observes a polyol separation in the
laboratory. The use of new bio-based materials — used in everything from seats to dashboards —
could have a big impact on energy, as well as the environmental safety of passengers. That’s why
Ford is expanding its use of bio-based soy foam throughout nearly all of its vehicle lineup this year as
part of an ongoing effort to use more renewable and recyclable materials. Ford’s use of bio foam has
helped the company reduce its petroleum oil usage by more than 3 million pounds annually and its
carbon dioxide emissions by 11 million pounds annually. “Right now, most of the vehicle is comprised
of metals, which are already recycled,” Mielewski said. “Plastics compose about 300 pounds of the
typical vehicle, and although some of that plastic is already recycled — and we are working on
technologies to recycle more — there is plastic going into landfills.” She hopes that growing materials
for cars and putting them back into soil at their end of life will reduce the company’s overall
environmental impact. “It’s just going to take some time, and some growing pains, to get there,” she
said.
Meanwhile, automakers are racing toward bringing electric cars, such as the Nissan LEAF and Chevy
Volt, into the mainstream. As a result, environmentalists worry about the ability to properly recycle
the batteries that power those cars. Good news: The first lithium battery recycling plants are already
being established. Last year, the U.S. Department of Energy granted $9.5 million to California-based
Toxco to build America’s first recycling facility for lithium ion vehicle batteries, which can be lighter
and smaller, while carrying more energy and providing more power. The DOE grant will help Toxco
transfer the Trail recycling process to its Ohio operations, laying the foundation for an advanced
lithium battery recycling plant that can expand to meet expected rapid growth in the U.S. electric car
market. To keep up with this kind of news, visit HybridCars.com and PluginCars.com. Our mission is to
provide trustworthy, clear information about the next generation of alternative energy vehicles —
creating a movement of consumers eager to purchase cars and trucks that use less oil, have a smaller
environmental impact and are fun to drive. Brad Berman is the editor of HybridCars.com and
PluginCars.com.
By RecycleNationSeptember 7, 2010
https://recyclenation.com/2010/09/hybridcars-brad-berman-examines-recycling-auto-industry/
I. READING COMPREHENSION
A.
1. Brad Berman
2. Debbie Mielewski
3. Editor of HybridCars.com and PluginCars.com
4. Technical leader, Plastics Research Group at Ford
5. The environmental impact of cars
6. Reducing the use of petroleum-based parts
7. Lithium battery recycling
8. Ford
9. Bio-based soy foam
10. Bio-based materials
B.
11. a. flourishing in the car industry
12. b. biodegradable
13. c. still found in dumping grounds
14. a. Much effort will be needed before automakers are able to reduce the overall environmental impact of cars.
15. c. Automakers are competing to impose electric vehicles in the car market.
C.
16. The staff of HybridCars.com and PluginCars.com
17. The current year (at the time of writing)
18. The amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced by Ford annually
19. News about recycling and the automotive industry
D.
20. F - The reduction cost of petroleum oil usage is approximately 3 million pounds, while the reduction cost of carbon dioxide emissions is 11 million pounds.
21. T - According to the text, HybridCars.com and PluginCars.com's mission is to provide information about the next generation of alternative energy vehicles.
II. LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE
E.
22. in
23. from
24. out
25. on
