In this age of living green, most people are concerned with doing less harm to our
existing environment. People around the world are choosing to use products and materials that can be recycled or are made from recycled goods. It is not uncommon for National Geographic Channel to
feature programs on how factories are making products
with that
in mind. It is also not unusual to see shows on how structures are being built, especially huge ones.
This month, NGC is doing things slightly different by bringing viewers the other side of the story. In "Mega Breakdown1," cameras follow along as
massive vehicles are
ripped apart,
smashed,
melted down, and recycled. One of these is the FH12 Globetrotter, a cargo2 truck by Swedish carmaker Volvo. After more than 160,000 kilometers of carrying cargo, this truck is headed for Volvo's factory in Sweden to be broken down into scraps3 and parts. Experts remove everything piece by piece, including its 350 horsepower4 engine. However, Volvo plans on reusing or recycling at least 90 percent of the truck.
With any luck, the parts will be used for a bigger and better model.