# Auto Recycling > Auto recycling that pays you: we buy your old car for $300 to $2,000, tow it free and deliver it to a licensed Ontario recycler. Get an offer in 3 minutes. Source: https://topcash4cars.ca/services/auto-recycling # Auto Recycling in Ontario – Get Paid to Recycle Your Old Car Auto recycling should pay you, not cost you. We buy end-of-life cars across the GTA and Golden Horseshoe, tow them free and deliver them to licensed Ontario recyclers, where around 75–80% of a typical vehicle by weight can be recycled. ## What auto recycling means for your old car Every car reaches a point where it costs more to keep than it's worth. When that happens, recycling is the cleanest way out. Instead of rusting in a driveway or leaking into the ground, the car is drained of hazardous fluids, taken apart and turned back into raw materials. **Most of a car can be reused or recycled.** Steel, aluminum, copper, glass and rubber all have value. Working parts go back into other cars. The metal is shredded, sorted and sent to mills and smelters to become something new. Our job is the first step. We buy the car, pay you cash on the spot and tow it free to a licensed Ontario recycler. You don't need to find a scrapyard, book a tow or drain anything yourself. > **End-of-life vehicle recycling in Ontario** Ontario has environmental rules for businesses that process end-of-life vehicles. They cover how fluids, refrigerant, batteries and mercury switches are removed and handled. We deliver only to licensed recyclers that work under those rules. ## The auto recycling process, step by step Here's what happens once your car leaves your driveway. Details vary from one facility to the next, but the order is broadly the same. For a longer read, see our guide on [how car recycling works](/guides/how-car-recycling-works). ### 1. Check-in and paperwork The car arrives at the recycler along with its signed ownership (vehicle permit), so it's clear who sold it and where it came from. It's logged by VIN and looked over to decide which parts can be reused. That paper trail matters: once you've signed the car over, it's no longer in your name. ### 2. Draining the fluids Before anything else comes off, the car is drained of fuel, engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid and washer fluid. Each is collected separately. Used oil can be re-refined and coolant recycled, instead of soaking into soil or running into storm drains. ### 3. Refrigerant, battery, mercury and airbags Air conditioning refrigerant is recovered with proper equipment rather than vented into the air. The battery comes out next, and its lead and plastic are recycled. Mercury switches found in some older cars are removed, and undeployed airbags are taken out or safely set off so they can't cause harm later. ### 4. Catalytic converter and tires The catalytic converter is removed and sent to specialists who recover the platinum, palladium and rhodium inside. That's why we always ask sellers to leave it on. The tires are pulled and sent for tire recycling, where they're turned into crumb rubber and other products. ### 5. Harvesting reusable parts Parts that still work are removed, checked and sold to repair shops and drivers: engines, transmissions, alternators, starters, doors, mirrors, lights, seats and wheels. A used part keeps another car on the road and saves the energy it would take to make a new one. ### 6. Crushing and shredding What's left, mostly the steel body and frame, is flattened and trucked to a shredder. The shredder tears the shell into small chunks. Magnets pull out the steel and iron, and other equipment separates aluminum, copper and other metals from everything else. ### 7. Back to the mills Sorted steel goes to steel mills, where it's melted down and made into new steel. Aluminum and copper go to their own smelters and refiners. The small share that can't be recovered, mostly mixed plastics, foam and fabric, is disposed of under environmental rules. That's how around 75–80% of a typical vehicle by weight ends up recycled. ## Where each part of your car ends up A quick look at the main materials in a typical car and what becomes of them. | Material or part | Where it goes | | --- | --- | | Steel body and frame | Shredded, sorted by magnet and melted into new steel at mills | | Aluminum wheels and engine parts | Sorted out after shredding and sent to aluminum smelters | | Copper wiring and motors | Recovered and sold to metal refiners | | Catalytic converter | Sent to refiners that recover platinum, palladium and rhodium | | Battery | Lead and plastic casing recycled separately | | Engine oil and fuel | Collected for re-refining or reuse | | Coolant and other fluids | Collected and recycled or disposed of properly | | Tires | Recycled into crumb rubber and other products | | Working parts | Resold as used parts for repairs | | Plastics, foam and fabric | Partly recovered; the rest becomes shredder residue | ## Why recycling your car is worth it Eco-friendly car disposal does more than clear your driveway. ### Keeps fluids out of the ground An old car slowly leaks oil, coolant and brake fluid. Draining it at a proper facility keeps those fluids out of driveways, soil and storm drains, which usually empty into local creeks and lakes. ### Saves raw materials Recycled steel and aluminum take far less energy to produce than metal made from freshly mined ore. Every recycled car means less digging, smelting and shipping of new raw material. ### Keeps working parts in use A good alternator, door or headlight from your car can fix someone else's for less than a new part. Used parts help keep repair bills down for other drivers. ### Takes the car off the road for good A car that's dismantled and shredded can't be patched up and passed on to someone else as a problem. It's gone for good, and you've signed it over properly. ### Frees up space at home A dead car takes up a parking spot, can draw complaints from neighbours and keeps collecting rust. Recycling frees up the driveway, garage or backyard it's been sitting in. ### Puts cash in your pocket You're paid for the steel and parts your car contains, with scrap sedans starting at $300. The tow is free, so recycling your car costs you nothing at all. ## Before your car goes for recycling Do these things before pickup day. Don't strip or drain the car yourself, though. **The recycler is set up to do that safely**, and pulling parts lowers your offer. - **Remove your licence plates:** In Ontario, plates belong to you, not the car, so keep them for your next vehicle or return them to ServiceOntario. - **Empty the car:** Check the glovebox, console, trunk, door pockets and under the seats for documents and valuables. - **Take your transponder and remotes:** Grab the 407 ETR transponder, garage door opener and any parking passes. - **Clear your personal data:** Unpair your phone and erase saved addresses from the navigation system if you can. - **Leave the fluids in:** Draining oil or coolant at home is messy, and capturing it properly is the recycler's job. - **Keep the catalytic converter and battery:** They're part of what your car is worth, so removing them lowers the offer. - **Find your ownership:** Have the ownership and photo ID ready, and if it's lost, call us before you go to ServiceOntario. - **Cancel your insurance after the sale:** Once the car is gone and you've been paid, call your insurer to cancel or move the coverage. - **Clear a path:** Make sure the tow truck can reach the car, and tell us about flat tires, missing keys or tight access. ## How much will you pay to recycle my car? Most end-of-life cars we buy for recycling fetch **$300 to $2,000**. Scrap sedans start at $300, scrap SUVs and minivans at $500, and scrap pickups at $500. Our guide to [scrap car value](/guides/scrap-car-value) explains the numbers in more detail. - **Weight:** The steel in the body and frame is the base of every recycling offer, so heavier vehicles earn more. - **Catalytic converter:** Original converters contain precious metals and add real value. - **Reusable parts:** Engines, transmissions and body parts that are in demand can lift the price above pure scrap value. - **Completeness:** A car missing its engine, wheels or converter is worth less than a complete one. - **Year and model:** Popular models have more demand for used parts. - **Metal markets:** Steel and aluminum prices move with the market, so offers can change from month to month. | Vehicle | Payout | | --- | --- | | Sedan, coupe or hatchback | from $300 | | SUV or minivan | from $500 | | Pickup truck | from $500 | | Running used car | up to $10,000 | _Prices depend on current scrap metal rates and change month to month._ ## Recycle your car with us in 3 steps We handle everything between your driveway and the recycler. ### Get a quote Call (289) 349-2006 or fill in the form with the year, make, model and condition. Tell us if parts are missing or the car has been sitting for a while. You'll get a firm cash offer in about 3 minutes, with no obligation to accept it. ### Book the free tow Pick a time that works for you. Same-day pickup is usually available if you call before noon. We'll confirm what paperwork to have ready and ask about anything that might make the car hard to load. ### Get paid, and we take it from there Take your plates off first. The driver checks the car, you sign it over and you're paid cash on the spot. Then we deliver it to a licensed Ontario recycler, where it's drained, dismantled and recycled as described above. ## Auto recycling FAQs ### How much of a car can be recycled? Around 75–80% of a typical vehicle by weight can be recycled. Most of that is steel and iron, plus aluminum, copper, glass, rubber and the precious metals in the catalytic converter. What's left, mostly mixed plastics, foam and fabric, is the hardest part to recover. ### Is car recycling in Ontario regulated? Yes. Car recycling in Ontario falls under provincial environmental rules for end-of-life vehicle processors, which set out how fluids, refrigerant, batteries and mercury switches must be removed and stored. We deliver cars only to licensed Ontario recyclers, so you don't have to research the facility yourself. ### Is recycling better than leaving an old car in the driveway? Yes. A parked car keeps losing value as rust spreads and tires and seals break down, and it can leak fluids onto your property. Recycling it now gets you paid while it still has parts value, and the fluids are captured safely instead of soaking into the ground. ### What's the difference between auto recycling and a scrapyard? They overlap. A scrapyard is mainly interested in metal by weight. Auto recycling also means draining fluids, recovering hazardous parts and reselling usable parts before the shell is shredded. If you just want the car gone fast, our [scrap car removal](/services/scrap-car-removal) service gets it there. ### Can I keep some parts before my car is recycled? Yes, but tell us first. Taking off things like aftermarket wheels, a stereo or a roof rack is fine as long as we know before we quote. Removing the catalytic converter, battery or engine parts lowers the offer, because those make up a big part of the car's value. ### Will my car end up back on the road? Not if it's going for recycling. Cars that are too far gone are dismantled and shredded, and only individual parts go back into use. Running cars we buy may be resold as used vehicles. Either way, you sign the ownership over at pickup, so the car is no longer in your name. ### Is there car recycling near me? If you're in the GTA or Golden Horseshoe, almost certainly. From our Burlington base we pick up across Toronto, Peel, York, Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Niagara, Waterloo Region, Guelph, Brant and Simcoe County, including [Burlington](/service-areas/burlington) and [St. Catharines](/service-areas/st-catharines). Towing is free throughout. ### What do I do with my licence plates? Take them off before the tow. In Ontario, plates belong to you, not the vehicle, so you can keep them for your next car or return them to ServiceOntario. There's no refund for returning them. Our guide on [licence plates when selling](/guides/licence-plates-when-selling) has the details. ### What if my car is missing parts or has been stripped? We still buy it. A partly stripped car still has steel weight, and we'll price it on what's there. Tell us what's missing, such as the engine, wheels or catalytic converter, so the quote is accurate and doesn't change when the driver arrives. ## Auto recycling pickup near you - [Burlington](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/burlington) - [Milton](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/milton) - [Oakville](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/oakville) - [Ancaster](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/ancaster) - [Binbrook](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/binbrook) - [Dundas](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/dundas) - [Hamilton](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/hamilton) - [Stoney Creek](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/stoney-creek) - [Waterdown](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/waterdown) - [Etobicoke](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/etobicoke) - [North York](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/north-york) - [Scarborough](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/scarborough) - [Toronto](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/toronto) - [Brampton](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/brampton) - [Caledon](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/caledon) - [Mississauga](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/mississauga) - [King City](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/king-city) - [Markham](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/markham) - [Newmarket](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/newmarket) - [Richmond Hill](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/richmond-hill) - [Vaughan](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/vaughan) - [Ajax](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/ajax) - [Oshawa](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/oshawa) - [Pickering](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/pickering) - [Whitby](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/whitby) - [Grimsby](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/grimsby) - [Niagara Falls](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/niagara-falls) - [St. Catharines](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/st-catharines) - [Cambridge](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/cambridge) - [Kitchener](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/kitchener) - [Waterloo](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/waterloo) - [Guelph](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/guelph) - [Brantford](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/brantford) - [Paris](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/paris) - [Barrie](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/barrie) - [Innisfil](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/innisfil) - [Orangeville](https://topcash4cars.ca/service-areas/orangeville) ## Recycle your old car and get paid today Call (289) 349-2006 for a firm offer in about 3 minutes. We'll tow it away free, pay cash on the spot and make sure it's recycled the right way.