August 20, 2008 Salvage yard helps save the planet Play video

(NECN: Lauren Collins, Manchester, NH) - We typically think of junk yards as dingy, slimy places where useless objects go to rot, but nothing could be further from the truth at one New Hampshire salvage shop -- where the goal is green.

It may be the last place you would expect to have a strong environmental conscientious, but at Car World in Candia, New Hampshire green is the way to go. The entire salvage yard is run with the planet in mind, and it has always been that way.

Recycled oil heats the 20,000 square-feet of buildings on the property. Drained gasoline and diesel fuel the company vehicles.

The ground is spotless -- no slicks, no sheens and no contamination. Car World went paperless years ago and cardboard doubles as packing material.

When a junker winds up at Car World, it has seen better days. It has either been totaled in an accident or simply run its last course. But, whether it is stripped for parts or sold as salvage, it still has some value.

Jeff Kantor and Car World set the standard in New Hampshire. He works with the State Department of Environmental Services on regulations for salvage yards, and on the newly formed green-yard certification program.