How much of a junk car gets recycled?

Collection: The vehicle is towed to a licensed salvage facility or recycling center.
Fluid draining: All hazardous fluids (engine oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, coolant, refrigerant, fuel) are drained into sealed containers. These are either recycled or disposed of per EPA regulations.
Parts harvesting: Usable components are removed, tested, inventoried, and sold. This is where self-service junkyards and full-service dismantlers operate.
Crushing: The stripped shell is flattened by a car crusher to reduce volume for transport.
Shredding: The crushed hull goes through an industrial shredder that tears it into fist-sized pieces.
Separation: Magnets pull out ferrous metals. Eddy current separators capture aluminum. Air classifiers and hand-sorting separate remaining materials.
Smelting: Recovered metals are melted and reformed into new raw materials, completing the loop.

About 80% by weight. Steel (98% recovery), aluminum (90%), copper (95%), and lead batteries (99%) are highly recyclable. Plastics remain the biggest challenge at roughly 30% recovery.

Is buying used auto parts good for the environment?

Yes. Reusing a part requires zero manufacturing energy. The auto recycling industry prevents approximately 85 million barrels of oil from being used annually by reducing the need for new parts manufacturing.

What happens to a car at a salvage yard?

Fluids are drained and recycled, usable parts are harvested and sold, the shell is crushed and shredded, and metals are separated magnetically for smelting into new raw materials.

Selling Tips•Jun 10, 2026•By U-Pull-It Staff

Auto Parts Recycling & the Circular Economy: How Junkyards Reduce Waste

The auto recycling industry recovers 80% of every end-of-life vehicle by weight. Salvage yards keep 14 million tons of steel out of landfills each year. Here is how the system works.

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