NAICS 423930

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the framework Federal statistical agencies use to classify business establishments for collecting, analyzing, and publishing data about the U.S. economy. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget with Statistics Canada and Mexico’s INEGI, NAICS replaced the SIC in 1997 to improve comparability of industry statistics across North America. ¹
NAICS 423930 covers establishments primarily engaged in merchant wholesale distribution of recyclable materials, including various scrap and waste streams such as nonferrous metals, textiles, glass, plastics, rubber, and used oil. This industry classification is production‑oriented and used by Census economic programs to tabulate industry‑level wholesale trade activity. ²

What this NAICS covers

• Merchant wholesale distribution of recyclable scrap and waste nonferrous metals. ²
• Wholesale trade of recyclable textiles gathered for reprocessing or reuse. ²
• Wholesale distribution of recyclable glass cullet and related glass scrap. ²
• Merchant wholesalers of recyclable plastics and rubber materials. ²
• Wholesale distribution of used oil and similar recyclable petroleum by‑products. ²
• Merchant wholesale distribution of scrap iron and steel using power processing equipment (e.g., cranes, shears, balers, cable strippers) incidental to distribution. ³
• Excludes operating facilities that separate/sort recyclables (classified in NAICS 562920). ³

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Where to find official data for this industry

• Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (AWTS) publishes national estimates by 2‑ through 4‑digit NAICS, including wholesale industries relevant to 423930. ⁵
• 2022 Economic Census, Sector 42 (Wholesale Trade) provides establishment and firm statistics on a 2022 NAICS basis, including industry‑level data accessible via data.census.gov and FTP tables. ⁴

Frequently asked questions

• What activities are included in NAICS 423930?
  Merchant wholesale distribution of recyclable materials, including nonferrous metal scrap, textiles, glass cullet, plastics, rubber, and used oil. Iron and steel scrap wholesaling with power processing is also within scope when incidental to distribution. These firms take title to goods and resell to processors or industrial users. ²

• Are auto dismantlers or used‑part sellers classified under NAICS 423930?
  No. Dismantling vehicles to wholesale secondhand parts is classified under NAICS 423140, not 423930. Dismantlers focus on recovering usable components; recyclable scrap wholesalers trade bulk materials rather than parts. ³

• Are materials recovery facilities part of NAICS 423930?
  No. Establishments primarily engaged in separating and sorting recyclable materials are classified in NAICS 562920. These facilities focus on materials recovery operations rather than merchant wholesaling functions. ³

• Does contract scrap processing without taking title fall under NAICS 423930?
  For iron and steel scrap processed on a contract or fee basis only, classification is in NAICS 561990, not 423930. This distinction hinges on whether the establishment is a merchant wholesaler taking title. ³

• Did NAICS 423930 change in the 2022 NAICS update?
  Census documents the 2022 NAICS implementation and sector‑level changes, but does not identify a specific structural change to 423930. Users should consult the official 2022 NAICS materials for confirmation. Not specified by official sources ⁷

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 423930 overview: https://app.g2xchange.com/naics/423930
• Economic Census: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems (overview of NAICS structure and use). ⁸
• 2022 NAICS Sector 42 (Wholesale Trade) — data access page. ⁴
• 2022 Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (AWTS) — national wholesale estimates by NAICS. ⁵

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau, “Classifying Businesses” (history and adoption of NAICS in 1997). https://www.census.gov/about/history/bureau-history/census-innovations/data-collection/classifying-businesses.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau, NAICS‑based description for recyclable scrap and waste nonferrous metals, textiles, glass, plastics, rubber, and oil wholesalers. https://www2.census.gov/econ2007/Reference_materials/htm%20files/42393030.htm
3. U.S. Census Bureau, NAICS‑based description for scrap iron/steel wholesalers with power processing and cross‑references. https://www2.census.gov/econ2007/Reference_materials/htm%20files/42393011.htm
4. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census — Sector 42 Wholesale Trade (data access). https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2022/econ/economic-census/naics-sector-42.html
5. U.S. Census Bureau, “2022 Annual Wholesale Trade Survey” (AWTS) press release. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/annual-wholesale-trade-survey.html
6. U.S. Census Bureau, “Impact of Changes to the North American Industry Classification System” (2022 update summary). https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/11/naics-changes.html
7. U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census: “NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems.” https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/technical-documentation/code-lists/understanding-naics-redirect.html