Butte, MT PlugShare offers their customers a full line of used auto parts. “It’s a convenient way to buy auto parts. We take the hassle out of it. People can just come to the store, shop by product, and we’ll do the ordering for them,” said Paul Brinkman. As customers browse the available online catalog, a live customer service representative can help determine whether or not it’s worth sending a part out, and when. “There’s no reason to go through this process anymore. We have no interest in doing that,” added Brinkman. Online part listings are more than just a convenient way to buy used auto parts; they are part of the solution to a complex problem. “We are part of the problem by throwing away nearly 60 million cars every year,” said Brinkman. The United States has one of the highest auto recycling rates in the world, but at 12 percent, the figure is not high enough to take the load off of landfills. “There’s a real environmental benefit to using this to keep cars off the scrap yard and out of the landfills,” added Brinkman. According to the EPA, every pound of used auto parts that ends up in a landfill represents 1.1 gallons of gasoline that would have been used. Another local business, Yellowstone Scrap and Salvage also sees the benefits of putting together a good inventory of used auto parts. “I mean, think about it,” said Larry Buhl, owner of Yellowstone Scrap and Salvage. “You can come to us and find a used engine and transmission and parts for vehicles right now, so you don’t have to buy the new one at the store.” Used auto parts come in a number of different sizes and uses, and they can be had at a variety of cost points. “It’s all from used autos. We get them from people who want to sell them or don’t want to keep it, so we pay them to take it,” said Buhl. To date, Yellowstone has taken in used auto parts from over 400 automobiles, and there is no shortage of what is being collected. “We don’t like to buy new vehicles, we’re sort of against it. We don’t really like to buy any of that stuff,” added Buhl. “And if we need anything we just buy it used.” When the customer walks into Yellowstone Scrap and Salvage, there’s no need to ask about the vehicle. “The more they have in stock and they’re working with it, the easier it is for them to sell to us, and the easier it is for them to sell to somebody else,” added Buhl. And as Yellowstone continues to take part in the used auto parts industry, Buhl said he hopes others do the same. “There’s a lot of salvage yards out there, and we just think it’s a good thing for everybody,” said Buhl. Businesses like Yellowstone Scrap and Salvage believe their business is providing the solution to a big problem. “If we’re not doing it, I can’t imagine somebody else out there that’s going to do it, either, because there’s so much profit in it. It makes no sense not to do it,” said Buhl. To find Yellowstone Scrap and Salvage, go to their Facebook page at facebook.com/yellowstonescrap, and to learn more about PlugShare, go to plugshare.com.