Recycle Your Car for the Environment

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Guide to Auto Recycling in Delaware

What is Auto Recycling?

Auto recycling is the process used by Delaware’s licensed and certified recycling yards to remove valuable components and materials from junk cars which have reached the end of their useful life. At DE auto recycling centers, vehicles are carefully divided into:

  • parts that can be reused or repaired
  • bulk materials like steel, aluminum, and some plastics that can be refined and reused for new part production
  • fluids like washer fluid, oil, antifreeze, and gasoline for refinement and responsible disposal


Check out additional awesome nerdy details about the car recycling process here.

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Tax Benefits of Vehicle Recycling
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Easy & Impactful

“Recycling with SHiFT was something that we could do that was quick, it was easy, it was impactful. And just the right thing to do for us.”

– Rebecca & Rupert

Why Recycle My Car?

Owners understandably want to get the most value when scrapping a car. While reselling or trading in your older car can help you recoup some money, donating it for recycling offers unique perks — like a potential $500 tax deduction — and some programs will accept a vehicle in any condition. Even more importantly, recycling your car can be one of the most environmentally sustainable choices you can make.

Thanks to decades of innovation, modern vehicles are now 85-90% recyclable when donated to the right service. The best processes maximize the reuse of parts and materials, eliminating carbon emissions from producing new parts or from landfill dumping.

Fully retiring older and less efficient gas engines through recycling has even greater benefits. Older gas engines on average produce 5-10 tons of CO2 per year! By recycling your car with a leading recycling program in Delaware, you’re not just reducing waste — you’re eliminating a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Want to see the impact for yourself? Use our carbon impact calculator to explore how your choices to fully recycle your car and upgrade to a greener vehicle, or even switching to public transit, can have a significant positive impact on the environment.

SHiFT Impact Calculator & Decision Engine

Best Way to Recycle Your Car in DE

Unfortunately, not all end of life vehicles are processed the same. In many cases when vehicles are traded in, sold directly to junk yards, and even when donating to some charities, your car is resold in other countries instead of being recycled. Without the same strict emissions standards we have in the U.S., this means your old vehicle or engine may continue to run without proper emissions control equipment like catalytic converters, polluting at even higher rates than when you owned it.

Delaware’s most environmentally conscious auto recycling program is the SHiFT Vehicle Retirement Initiative®. Every vehicle that passes through our doors is recycled in a way that would make our Mother Earth proud. When you donate your car with SHiFT, you’re guaranteed that:

  • The process will be hassle-free – we will accept your vehicle in any condition, working and registered or not. All we need is your car and the title
  • Your vehicle is recycled by only the best certified, and professionally maintained auto recycling facilities, using the latest sustainable protocols 
  • Your old engine will not be repurposed or resold, and will never have the opportunity to pollute the environment again
  • You’ll receive a carbon reduction certificate and tax receipt

 

When you choose SHiFT, you aren’t just throwing away a junk car — you’re taking actionable steps to reduce waste, conserve resources, and eliminate carbon emissions for our planet with our unique engine retirement guarantee. Learn more about the SHiFT initiative here

Our 4 Easy Steps to Car Recycling in Delaware

Step 1: Fill out the donation form

We’ll ask for some information about your vehicle including the VIN, year, make, model, mileage, and condition. Then you’ll tell us your contact information and where the car will be picked up. If you’re completing the form on a mobile device, you’ll also have the option to take photos of your vehicle.

Step 2: Track your vehicle

After you submit the donation form, you will receive a confirmation email with access to your Donor Console. From the Donor Console, you can track your car donation in real-time. You’ll also be able to access title transfer instructions and tax information.

Step 3: Schedule car pick up time

We’ll assign your vehicle to a licensed towing agent. The towing agent will contact you within 2-3 business days to schedule a car pick up time most convenient for you. Your car will be towed for free! At the time of pick up, you’ll hand over the car keys and signed title to the tow driver. 

Step 4: Count your carbon offset

After your car is picked up and received by a licensed recycler and SHiFT partner, you will receive a certification of carbon reduction. The certification confirms the emissions producing engine from your vehicle will never pollute again, and we’ll tell you the estimated annual carbon savings per year because of your donation to the SHiFT program. With the certification, you’ll also get a tax receipt for deduction on your taxes (if eligible; please consult with a tax professional).

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The SHiFT Difference

Full Retirement Guarantee

We are the only program to guarantee the complete retirement of your vehicle’s engine, providing proof through a carbon certification

Environmental Impact

Reduce waste and conserve natural resources through responsible recycling

Certified Recycling Process

We partner with certified facilities that ensure safe and compliant disposal

Hassle-Free Process

We handle everything, from free pick up to documentation, making an easy process

State Recycling Resources

  • When it comes to solid waste, both the state of Delaware and SHiFT work tirelessly to ensure the proper disposal of vehicle related waste. A main priority in this case is waste tires. To ensure that waste tires stay off the side of the road, the forests, and even bodies of water, the Delaware Division of Waste and Hazardous substances has put together resources in order to educate and promote the proper disposal.
  • The vehicle recycling process is more than just scrap metal and other materials. You need to be aware of the hazardous materials that need to be disposed of in a proper manner as well. These hazardous materials can range from waste oil, to hydraulic fluids. Even anti-freeze is considered hazardous in this case. In order to learn more regarding proper recycling techniques, check out some additional Delaware state resources here. 
  • Wondering what exactly can be recycled in the great state of Delaware? The Delaware State Government has compiled a list of resources in order to better answer additional questions you may have! Still need some assistance? Type in your zip code and review your local resources as well as specific recycling sites!
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