Auto Recycling Associations Develop Single Accreditation Standard

“This will serve to bring increased industry unification and recognition to professional automotive recyclers who operate at the highest level of the industry,” says Michael Wilson, ARA CEO. “We look to this as a preeminent accreditation program that would be a model for other international automotive recycling organizations as well as to governments of countries across the globe.”

Under the new program, ARA’s CAR and Gold Seal programs will be joined by URG’s 8000 program and the ARC’s Canadian Auto Recyclers’ Environmental Code (CAREC) program to advance standards of excellence in practices and standards, the groups say.

In 2011, representatives from ARA, ARC and URG say they convened a working group with the goal of developing an accreditation program that would be an asset to their respective members and a model for other countries. After research and review, the working group recommended a draft outline that was approved by the leadership of the three associations.

The CAR Gold Seal Accreditation Alliance collaborators have identified common standards among the programs and also incorporated recycled part quality assurance standards and employee training programs, adopted from URG 8000. The CAR and Gold Seal program is designed to certify and audit for best management practices at four levels: business standards, safety standards, environmental stewardship standards, consumer assurance standards and part quality assurance.

The ARC code, developed in 2008 for Environment Canada, provides recyclers with information and tools to prevent environmental hazards during and after the vehicle recycling process. URG 8000 standards were fashioned after the then ISO 8000 certification, with a focus on quality, training, audits and performance.