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FCP Euro Service Kits

FCP Euro Kits

As enthusiasts working at FCP Euro, we’re just as passionate about our vehicles as our customers. However, we know that working on cars can often become a dirty job with a lot of waste, including the parts that come off the vehicle. So, while the used parts received via our Lifetime Replacement Guarantee returns may make our facility a bit greasy on the inside, we know they shouldn’t make our planet any dirtier outside of our doors. To assure this, we’ve focused our approach within our day-to-day operations to ensure sustainability is maximized and both our (and your) carbon footprints are minimalized

From brake discs to suspension parts and everything in between, we have created new avenues to repurpose, refurbish and recycle nearly everything you might expect to be destined for a dumpster as soon as you seal the tape on your return shipment. 

Visit cares.fcpeuro.com to learn more about our CSR initiatives

 

Where Does it Go?

Oil and Other Fluids

One of the most common questions we receive when talking to our customers is “What do you do with all of the oil?”

When your Lifetime Replacement Guarantee (LRG) used oil return enters our facility, the first step in our sustainability process is to separate it into two; recyclable plastic containers, and waste oil itself. Your used engine oil, transmission fluid, gear oil, and differential fluid are poured from their containers into our large recycling drums to be refined and then repurposed. The empty metal or plastic oil container is then resealed to prevent leakage and is picked up to be recycled separately.

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Our large recycling drums are drained weekly and are processed to become usable oil for heating facilities, whether it be residential or commercial. Through this division of processes, we can proudly say that both the oil you drain from your car and the containers you send them back to us are paid forward sustainably, be it in the form of recycled plastic or in keeping someone warm throughout the winter.

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While brake fluid and coolant cannot be used for heating the way waste oil can be, we still ensure that these are disposed of consciously and carefully. Both of those fluids are kept separate from oils to prevent cross-contamination and are recycled by a separate third party. The plastic and metal containers they are packaged in are resealed and recycled along with your old waste oil containers.

 

Scrap Metal, Batteries, Cores, and Cardboard

Our Returns Department frequently sees nearly a thousand pounds in scrap metal returns a day, from substantial pieces like brake discs, axles, and radiators, to more minute pieces such as crank bolts, blower regulators, and water pumps. Used and discarded parts are examined carefully to determine what may be recyclable as scrap metal, and parts constructed with a mix of materials are often disassembled in an effort to separate what is salvageable from what is not.

After determining what parts are capable of being recycled, scrap metal is again taken to a separate part of the facility for scrap pickup. Upon arriving at a scrap metal recycling facility, all ferrous and non-ferrous materials are melted down to be repurposed and reused.

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In the case of parts with a core charge (the vast majority of alternators, steering racks, and starters that are sold by FCP Euro), your used and inoperable parts are returned to one of our vendors to be remanufactured and repaired. When handling batteries as a product of either customer returns or in-house use, FCP Euro utilizes “The Big Green Box” to ensure proper disposal and recycling given the volatile nature of these products. Through proactive planning and arrangements, all of these parts will go on to live another day in another vehicle requiring a repair.

With all of these large parts come large boxes. From all of the various-sized boxes our customers send their returns to us in, to the cavernous ones we receive our stock in, almost all cardboard that enters through the front doors of FCP Euro is broken down and recycled. In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint even further, we are investigating new ways to repurpose and reuse these boxes within the facility; those who visit our Milford, Connecticut facility for pickup can anticipate their parts being contained in the form of “upcycled” boxes, allowing us to reuse the packaging from our customer returns one last time prior to being recycled.

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Unsellable Parts

Not every part that is returned to FCP Euro is destined to become scrapped or recycled, though. Oftentimes, parts that follow the rubric of our Lifetime Replacement Guarantee come back with enough life left on them for, well, another life. 

tech schools

FCP Euro has proudly partnered with Good360 to find a suitable and productive use for these misfit parts. Good360 receives parts unfit for sale from FCP Euro and puts them in the hands of future members of the automotive industry to serve as hands-on training in educational automotive programs. Rather than making their way to be scrapped or recycled, scratch-and-dent control arms, shocks, and radiators are on their way to a classroom to provide the best test-bed and practice for the real world. Given the educational value, whether it’s one-dollar gaskets or Genuine products worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars, any parts providing pertinent educational value are transferred for student use absolutely free of charge.

 

What if I Don’t Return Parts and Fluids to FCP Euro?

Depending on your geographical location and the size of your shipment, we recognize that not all customers will be willing to ship their warranty oil or heavy electrical parts cross-country. For these instances, we ask that you join FCP Euro in an effort to dispose of your goods safely, properly, and sustainably to ensure we’re all doing our part in creating a better future together. Here is a link to find the resources to do so nearest to you.

 

Oil, Batteries, and Other Fluids

Town transfer stations and dumping areas will often have a secluded drum or basin for oil and other automotive fluids and materials, and these locations will ensure all environmentally hazardous materials are disposed of properly. If this is not available upon request, we recommend reaching out to your local auto parts store or oil-change chain location. These typically have a pickup for waste products scheduled fairly often and are happy to take your product.

Additionally, we urge you to wrench consciously; spillage from an oil change done in the driveway can leach into drainage systems and cause irreparable damage to your local ecosystem, and doing so may be illegal in your state. Cutting the blue tape on your extra FCP Euro boxes and folding them flat for use as a cardboard drip tray can ensure a tidy oil change.

 

Scrap Metal and Cardboard

From the city to the country and North to South, recycling for both cardboard and scrap metal is available nearly everywhere and is accessible with little effort. When determining what to do with your leftover boxes following the most recent fix, it is generally easiest to break down all boxes and turn them over to whatever method your town or county uses for recycling (be it a transfer station or a home pick-up).

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Scrap metal recycling facilities are never picky when it comes to the product at hand, and will happily take the vast majority of car parts you may bring for recycling. As an added bonus, your scrap has value; you can take solace both in knowing your parts are recycled in an eco-friendly manner and also in getting a bit of a payout for your scrap materials.

 

Join Us

At FCP Euro, we place a lot of effort into our sustainability efforts, but we can’t do it alone. We believe we can drive innovation when we work collaboratively with our partners, our customers, and our employees towards a sustainable future. We are dedicated to minimizing the impact our company has on the environment and supporting those who are working to improve global environmental sustainability. We commit to developing an eco-friendly business operation through a sustainable supply chain and product offering that minimizes its negative environmental impact, use of recyclable materials, minimization of waste, and alignment of business partners that share the same values and goals. We also pledge to continue working with our suppliers, vendors, and other stakeholders to reduce their environmental footprint. 

We ask that you join FCP Euro in creating a better tomorrow, and work to create an automotive experience with sustainability in mind from our hands to yours, and then back into ours again.

Pick Your Car


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Written by :
Danny Kruger

FCP Euro’s Mercedes Expert and longtime “Silver Arrow” tinkerer. Lover of oddball vehicles, and former owner of two 6-speed W203 C-Classes, a Kleemann-modified 5-speed R170 SLK, and a 1987 190E 2.3-16. The current owner of a daily-driven and AMG-swapped W208 CLK430, a 6-speed W203 C350, and a Honda Fit driven in GRIDLIFE’s “Sundae Cup.” ••• Instagram: @danny_playswithcars


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