Steel Recycling Institute helps Habitat for Humanity® 'recycle' Cars for Homes™ for America Recycles Day

America Recycles Day is November 15th, and the Steel Recycling Institute, Habitat for Humanity's Cars for Homes™ newest supporter, is generating awareness about recycling steel from automobiles and how your car donation can help hard-working families build decent, affordable shelter. When you donate an unwanted car, truck, boat or RV to be "recycled" by Cars for Homes™, you help save energy and natural resources with the added benefit of supporting Habitat for Humanity's efforts to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness within your local community.

Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) November 13, 2008 -- Do you know that the automobile is the most heavily recycled consumer product? Each year, more steel is recycled than aluminum, paper, glass and plastic combined.

The Steel Recycling Institute (SRI), Habitat for Humanity's Cars for Homes™ newest supporter, reports that every year more than 14 million tons of steel is recycled from end-of-life vehicles--nearly 100 percent annual recycling rate. The steel recycled from cars is equivalent to build nearly 45,000 steel-framed homes and would save the equivalent energy to power about 18 million households.

"We are happy to be working with the Steel Recycling Institute to help Habitat for Humanity supporters understand the benefits of recycling steel," stated Marcia Rundle, director of Cars for Homes™, Habitat's national vehicle donation program. "By donating an old car, truck, boat or RV to Habitat's Cars for Homes™ program, individuals help save energy and natural resources and provide funds to build affordable homes with families from within the local community."

A significant number of donated vehicles are cars that are no longer drivable that are typically sent to be recycled at auto salvage yards, where reusable car parts, batteries, tires and fluids are first removed. Recycled automobiles then enter the shredding process in which iron and steel are magnetically separated from the other materials and recycled to produce new steel.

As part of their support for Habitat's Cars for Homes™, the SRI has incorporated the car donation program into its Steel Recycling Locator database. Each month, hundreds of consumers visit the Steel Recycling Web site (http://www.recycle-steel.org) to use the database to find places to recycle their steel products, including automobiles. The Steel Recycling Locator charts more than 30,000 national recycling options and provides consumers with local options for recycling their steel--including the donation of out-of-service automobiles to Cars for Homes™ to be recycled.

"Supporting Cars for Homes™ is a win for both local families in need and the environment," said Bill Heenan, president of the Steel Recycling Institute. "By donating their out-of-service automobiles to Cars for Homes™, consumers will support their local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. And, Cars for Homes™ will, in turn, make sure the cars are recycled, which conserves energy and natural resources while providing valuable feedstock for making new steel."

On America Recycles Day, Habitat is joining SRI in raising awareness about "recycling" a car, truck, boat or RV by donating to Habitat for Humanity by calling 1-877-277-HFHI (4344) toll free or online at http://www.carsforhomes.org.

###