Aug. 20, 2012—Three automotive recycler organizations have centralized each of their accreditation programs into one united set of accreditation and certification standards for professional automotive recyclers worldwide.
Organizations included in the initiative are the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA), Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC) and United Recycler’s Group (URG). The ARA said its CAR and Gold Seal programs are now joined by the URG 8000 and ARC Canadian Auto Recyclers’ Environmental Code (CAREC) programs, each of which are designed to identify the top tier of certified professional automotive recyclers.
The purpose of combining the programs, now called the CAR Gold Seal Accreditation Alliance, is to advance standards and practices of excellence in the automotive recycling industry by creating a “one-stop-shop for information and accreditation standards,” the ARA said. The unified program will help enhance the professionalism and reputation of the automotive recycling industry.
The ARA said each of the three organizations identified common standards between the various programs, and incorporated aspects unique to each program to enhance the value of the centralized standard. The ARA’s CAR and Gold Seal program certifies and audits business, safety, environmental stewardship, consumer assurance and part quality assurance management practices. The ARC code, developed in 2008, provides recyclers with information and tools to prevent environmental hazards during the vehicle recycling process. The URG 8000 standards focus on quality, training, audits and performance.
“This will serve to bring increased industry unification and recognition to professional automotive recyclers who operate at the highest level of the industry,” said Michael Wilson, CEO of the ARA. “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.”
The ARA said it is now seeking automotive recyclers from around the world to enroll in the CAR Gold Seal Accreditation Alliance by adopting the united CAR Gold Seal certification standards.
The ARA University, arauniversity.org, has been designated as the recognized training arm of the CAR Gold Seal Accreditation Alliance. The ARA will create and supervise a Web-based administrative platform that will be used for enrollment and tracking of the accreditation program, which will be previewed during the Automotive Recyclers Association Annual Convention & Exposition scheduled for Oct. 24-27 in Orlando, Fla.
