American Recycler JAN 2025 / Read original article
Look back a few decades and you’d be amazed at how the automotive recycling industry has evolved. Long gone are the dusty “junk yards” of previous generations – today’s auto recycling enterprises are technology-driven, streamlined companies that are embracing the latest innovations in dismantling and recycling end-of-life vehicles.
Todd Bialaszewski, owner of Junk Car Medics, a nationwide junk car buyer, pointed out that much stricter standards and regulations in the auto recycling industry have emerged over the last decade. Specifically, both federal and state regulations have increased regarding the handling of fluids and hazardous materials.
“This has caused many yards to invest in specialized equipment and to revamp their processes,” Bialaszewski said. “There has also been a large shift in how inventory of parts is handled, with most of that now being handled with online platforms. Then of course, the introduction of EVs and the different processes that are needed to handle the batteries.”
The evolution of the auto recycling industry in the last decade has also seen a huge shift towards a self-service model. According to Troy Webber, president of Chesterfield Auto Parts and chief executive officer of Yardsmart, the national automotive recycling convention used to have one or two seminars on the topic, and now there is one every session.
“Most full service and late model recyclers are either switching to the self-service model or integrating some part of it into their business,” Webber said.
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