Season 3 – Episode 3: Fueling the Future of Vehicles

What happens to a car when it reaches the end of its life? In this episode of REPURPOSED, we follow the aluminum journey from auto shredders and balers to state-of-the-art processing and smelting facilities, proving recycled aluminum doesn’t just disappear, it drives the future of American manufacturing. Join us in Little Rock, Arkansas at Altech’s heavy media plant, where “Zorba” (a mix of shredded non=ferrous metals) is sorted into clean, alloy-specific grades like “Twitch.” Then we head to MOST (Missouri Smelting Technology) in Troy, Missouri, where this material is transformed into molten aluminum or ingots, fueling the production of engine blocks, cylinder heads, and other essential auto components. You’ll also learn why virgin aluminum isn’t the answer, how materials like old wheels, pans, and even sandwich makers are recycled, and why recycling is vital, not optional, for the U.S. automotive and manufacturing sectors.