diff --git a/examples/trace/client.py b/examples/trace/client.py
index 662cea8d969..d25fa60c9b7 100755
--- a/examples/trace/client.py
+++ b/examples/trace/client.py
@@ -39,4 +39,3 @@
 tracer.add_span_processor(span_processor)
 
 response = requests.get(url="http://127.0.0.1:5000/")
-span_processor.shutdown()
diff --git a/examples/trace/server.py b/examples/trace/server.py
index 3632540e213..0ce5a99c2c7 100755
--- a/examples/trace/server.py
+++ b/examples/trace/server.py
@@ -52,4 +52,3 @@ def hello():
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     app.run(debug=True)
-    span_processor.shutdown()
diff --git a/ext/opentelemetry-ext-azure-monitor/examples/client.py b/ext/opentelemetry-ext-azure-monitor/examples/client.py
index ff954788e66..044050322f8 100644
--- a/ext/opentelemetry-ext-azure-monitor/examples/client.py
+++ b/ext/opentelemetry-ext-azure-monitor/examples/client.py
@@ -27,4 +27,3 @@
 tracer.add_span_processor(span_processor)
 
 response = requests.get(url="http://127.0.0.1:5000/")
-span_processor.shutdown()
diff --git a/ext/opentelemetry-ext-azure-monitor/examples/server.py b/ext/opentelemetry-ext-azure-monitor/examples/server.py
index 9374c986a4a..9b4e9ab8324 100644
--- a/ext/opentelemetry-ext-azure-monitor/examples/server.py
+++ b/ext/opentelemetry-ext-azure-monitor/examples/server.py
@@ -41,4 +41,3 @@ def hello():
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     app.run(debug=True)
-    span_processor.shutdown()
diff --git a/ext/opentelemetry-ext-jaeger/README.rst b/ext/opentelemetry-ext-jaeger/README.rst
index 04ccdfac4ac..b4493f6174e 100644
--- a/ext/opentelemetry-ext-jaeger/README.rst
+++ b/ext/opentelemetry-ext-jaeger/README.rst
@@ -54,10 +54,6 @@ gRPC is still not supported by this implementation.
     with tracer.start_as_current_span('foo'):
         print('Hello world!')
 
-    # shutdown the span processor
-    # TODO: this has to be improved so user doesn't need to call it manually
-    span_processor.shutdown()
-
 The `examples <./examples>`_ folder contains more elaborated examples.
 
 References
diff --git a/ext/opentelemetry-ext-jaeger/examples/jaeger_exporter_example.py b/ext/opentelemetry-ext-jaeger/examples/jaeger_exporter_example.py
index 5cf57bfccad..d557f3fc258 100644
--- a/ext/opentelemetry-ext-jaeger/examples/jaeger_exporter_example.py
+++ b/ext/opentelemetry-ext-jaeger/examples/jaeger_exporter_example.py
@@ -45,7 +45,3 @@
         time.sleep(0.2)
 
     time.sleep(0.1)
-
-# shutdown the span processor
-# TODO: this has to be improved so user doesn't need to call it manually
-span_processor.shutdown()
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py
index d06d34d93bc..3c71e74f186 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/__init__.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 
+import atexit
 import logging
 import random
 import threading
@@ -333,6 +334,13 @@ def __init__(
         self._current_span_slot = Context.register_slot(slot_name)
         self._active_span_processor = MultiSpanProcessor()
         self.sampler = sampler
+        self._atexit_hanlder = atexit.register(
+            self._active_span_processor.shutdown
+        )
+
+    def __del__(self):
+        atexit.unregister(self._atexit_hanlder)
+        self._active_span_processor.shutdown()
 
     def get_current_span(self):
         """See `opentelemetry.trace.Tracer.get_current_span`."""