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Corporate Responsibility
& ESG

It’s a simple fact of life.  Perfection is an impossible standard.  But in the results-driven world, we are constantly striving for perfection to achieve greatness.  Back in 1998, the world saw a fragmented recycled parts industry.  Our founders, however, saw an opportunity – to provide quality, high-value alternatives for the automotive replacement parts marketplace.

LKQ featured in the United Nations
“Vision 2045” Initiative

On October 24, 2019, the United Nations’ Secretariat announced it was organizing a public consultation to generate a global vision for the year 2045, the 100th anniversary of the creation of the United Nations. Vision 2045 was born.

The Vision 2045 documentary team approached LKQ to be featured in a video that would be showcased during the COP28 Global Sustainability Summit in Dubai in December 2023. This video is the result of those efforts and showcases two of LKQ’s sustainable brands, Green Bean Battery (Pittsboro, North Carolina USA) and Rhenoy BV (The Netherlands and Poland) both of which focus on remanufacturing of automotive components, providing another useful life and helping LKQ be a solution towards a circular economy.

Watch LKQ
featured on Earth

with John Holden

This series showcases companies that are helping to preserve our planet through eco-friendly initiatives and innovative technologies and solutions.

Viewers will get an inside look into our facility in Casa Grande, Arizona and have the chance to hear first-hand about how LKQ participates in the circular economy from Nick Zarcone, LKQ’s CEO; Justin Jude, North American President; Sandy Pierantoni, Director, ESG Strategy & Initiatives; and Aaron Smith, Casa Grande Plant Manager. There will even be a guest appearance from the Mayor of Casa Grande.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle

We approach Corporate Responsibility & ESG with the same mindset as our LKQ Proud Culture. LKQ Always D-E-L-I-V-E-R-S. These are the values that each of us at LKQ live and work by every day. Our ESG strategy is built on four key elements:

  • Planet
  • People
  • Communities
  • Governance
 

This is our framework for delivering what matters most to our stakeholders. This is how LKQ is driving excellence. Together, we are improving the world one part at a time. 

Part of LKQ’s mission is to build strong partnerships in the communities in which we operate. Many communities today are unable to thrive because of many socio-economic factors; basic needs like a regular meal are not being met. LKQ partnered with Feeding America, a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people annually, to help satisfy some of this need. We are LKQ Proud to be recognized as a partner with Feeding America.

World’s Largest Recycler of Vehicles

Today, we are proud to be the world’s largest recycler of vehicles.  Our salvage vehicle operations recycle more than 90% of the materials from end-of-life vehicles that would otherwise end up in a landfill.  LKQ was built on a solid foundation with attention to recycling and sustainability efforts.  And yet, we realize the need to continually do more. 

2022 Sustainability Report

The 2022 LKQ Sustainability Report is our third annual sustainability report and signifies our commitment to disclosing and further enhancing our environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices across our global operations. LKQ has been an environmental leader since the day we were founded in 1998. Today, we are the largest recycler of vehicles in the world and celebrating our 25th Anniversary. The same level of commitment we make to the environment, we also make to our customers through our commitment to quality, fulfillment rates and service reliability, and to our employees by treating them with dignity and respect. We believe that delivering long-term value for our stakeholders is important to our success. We view ESG elements within this report as integral to our enterprise approach to sustainability. To inform our disclosures, the report applies the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and Task Force for Climate-Related Disclosure (TCFD) guidelines. We recognize we are on a journey, and we welcome your feedback.

Join Our Team!

LKQ has been ranked as one of America’s Most Responsible Companies of 2024 by Newsweek and received certification as a Great Place to Work for 2024. To be a part of our growing team of passionate parts people, apply now by clicking learn more.

Infographics

Sustainability Report Highlights

LKQ North America 2022 Infographic
LKQ-2022-Sustainability-Rpt-Infographic_NA-1

LKQ Corporation strives to be a responsible corporate citizen with respect to environmental, social and governance matters.

90%

or more of all materials from the vehicles LKQ processes are recycled keeping items out of landfills

768,000+

of vehicles procured last year

337,000

of gallons of anti-freeze and washer fluid recovered last year

1,500,000

of catalytic converters recovered last year

3,600,000

Gallons of fuel recovered and recycled last year

2,200,000

Tires recovered and recycled

973,000

Tons of crush auto scrap materials processed last year

711,000

of batteries recovered last year

2,200,000

Gallons of waste oil recovered and recycled last year

13,000,000

of individual recycled parts sold

1,500

of LKQ locations worldwide and always growing

45,000

of LKQ team members worldwide