Recycle Your Car for the Environment

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Guide to Auto Recycling in Florida

What is Auto Recycling?

Auto recycling is the process used by Florida’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 FL 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 Florida, 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 FL

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.

Florida’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 Florida

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

  • Both SHiFT and the state of Florida are actively seeking ways to promote the proper recycling techniques when it comes to hazardous materials. Some of these hazardous materials can include gasoline as well as biodiesel. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection provides a full list of resources so you can both educate yourself as well as properly begin the recycling process for hazardous materials pertaining to your old vehicle.
  • In an ever changing world regarding rules and regulations for recycling techniques, it can sometimes be difficult to keep up with them. Luckily, Florida has an up-to-date list including all the new regulations and rules when it comes to recycling solid waste. This great resource can be viewed here. In most cases, solid waste includes scrap tires, old windshields, and other solid materials coming from your old vehicle that could be deemed harmful to the environment. 
  • While Florida does not require smog tests on personal vehicles registered within the state, it can be a good idea to see how your personal vehicle is affecting the environment. Emissions.org can be used as a resource to determine where and when emissions tests are being conducted if you are interested in seeing your personal environmental footprint!

Best Auto Recyclers in Florida

Davidson Used Auto Parts, headquartered in Tampa, Florida, is actively involved in the recycling community throughout Florida. 

A leader in environmental car recycling, Davidson Used Auto Parts is an ARA Certified Auto Recycler (CAR), which means they uphold the highest standards and protocols of auto recycling. Davidson Used Auto Parts utilizes cutting edge vehicle dismantling, fluid recovery, and part inventorization to safely and cleanly maximize the recycled content on every vehicle.

Cocoa Auto Salvage serves the Space Coast area and is also actively involved in the recycling community throughout Florida. Committed to the most sustainable auto recycling best practices, environmental compliance has always been a very important part of Cocoa Auto Salvage’s mission.

Ole South Auto Salvage of the Venus, FL region is CAR certified as well. Their recycling facility is among the best in the state for recycling vehicles for the environment.

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Spotlight on a Trusted Partner: Cocoa Auto Salvage

For nearly five decades, Cocoa Auto Salvage has been a trusted name in Florida’s Space Coast community — helping drivers find affordable, high-quality OEM parts while protecting the planet through responsible recycling. Founded by Doug and Linda Lathem in 1978, this family-run business has grown from a two-person operation into a modern, environmentally conscious recycling facility. As a SHiFT Vehicle Retirement Initiative® partner, Cocoa Auto Salvage ensures every retired vehicle is recycled to completion, reducing carbon emissions and promoting a truly circular automotive economy. Learn how they’re driving sustainability forward in Central Florida.

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