On the surface, cars could be seen as incredibly wasteful. They consume copious amounts of finite materials in their usage and construction and pollute the world to excess. Fortunately, recycling is a serious part of the automotive world and BMW is a leader in that field.

The brand has been recycling vehicles at its Recycling and Dismantling Center since 1994 and goes to extraordinary lengths to recover and reuse as many of the components of its vehicles as possible.

As the video below shows, BMW strips the exteriors of its old and used vehicles, pops the airbags and drains all the fluids and sends them off to be crushed. The steel and aluminum used to make them is then melted down and recycled.

When it comes to the BMW i3 and i8, the automaker is even more determined to recycle its components so much so that up to 95 per cent of these hybrids can be recycled. That includes the carbon fiber used to build them which is heated up, reinforced with new fibers and used again in the construction of new cars.

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