Auto recycler

An auto recycler is the industry’s preferred name for a business that takes in end-of-life vehicles, removes fluids and hazardous parts, sells reusable parts, and sends the stripped hulk to a scrap processor. Many are full-service parts sellers with inventory systems; others run self-service yards.

For sellers, an auto recycler is a common buyer for junk cars. For DIY repairers, it is a source of used parts at lower cost than new.

The U.S. Geological Survey reports that more than 13 million tons of steel a year is recycled from automobiles in North America, the equivalent of about 17 million cars, through more than 280 car shredders.¹