Season 3 – Episode 2: From Molten Metal to Motor

In episode 2 of REPURPOSED, we head to St. Louis, Missouri, to witness what happens after recycled aluminum leaves a recycling facility. The journey continues next door to the Toyota Plant, where molten aluminum is transformed into the engine parts that power millions of vehicles. We explore the critical link between recycled aluminum and the American auto industry, uncovering how it’s not only more sustainable but actually necessary. Virgin aluminum? Too expensive. Steel? Too heavy. Without recycled aluminum, modern vehicles wouldn’t exist as we know them. From molten metal and cast dies to Kaizen-driven improvements and zero-waste sand molds, you’ll see the full transformation of raw recycled material into precision-made cylinder heads, engine blocks, and transmission housing right where it happens.