By Caryn Smith • Editor
For over 30 years, through my work with the Automotive Recyclers Association and Automotive Recycling magazine, I have had a front-row seat to this industry’s evolution. I have watched recyclers move from phone calls, handwritten notes, local customers, and manual systems into a business environment shaped by inventory technology, online sales, certification, compliance, data, environmental responsibility, and now high-voltage vehicles, artificial intelligence, advanced materials, and software-defined cars.
That is a lot of change!
But what strikes me most is not simply how much has changed—it is how quickly change is now happening.
The pace is different.
The old long-range planning model does not feel the same anymore. Five-year plans are beginning to feel like five-month plans. New vehicle technologies are entering the marketplace faster than many businesses can fully understand them. Electric and hybrid vehicles are no longer “something coming.” They are already here. Advanced driver-assistance systems, batteries, sensors, electronics, software, new materials, and changing consumer expectations are already reshaping what enters your facility, how vehicles must be handled, what parts may hold value, and what knowledge recyclers will need to compete.
This issue looks directly at that reality.
In our feature on page 22, auto recyclers share what they see ahead—opportunity, uncertainty, workforce challenges, technology shifts, OEM involvement, changing customer behavior, and the need for better planning. Their perspectives are practical because they are living it every day. They are not talking about theory. They are talking about what is happening in their facilities, with their employees, their customers, and their next generation.
Our article on high-voltage vehicle training on page 41 makes one point very clear: “I don’t recycle electric vehicles” is no longer a safe business assumption. Whether a recycler is intentionally buying EVs or not, high-voltage systems are increasingly part of the vehicle population. That means safety, training, identification, handling procedures, and awareness must become part of the everyday culture of professional automotive recycling.
This is where certification matters.
Certification is not simply a logo, a checklist, or a requirement to satisfy someone else. At its best, certification is a foundation. It gives recyclers a place to start, a structure to follow, and a way to measure whether their business is prepared for the expectations already forming around environmental practices, safety, training, documentation, and professionalism. For recyclers who want to take advantage of the opportunities ahead, certification is not the finish line.
It is the starting line.
The family business article, on page 32, reminds us of another important truth: planning for the future is not only about technology. It is also about leadership. Many yards have been built through grit, sacrifice, and generational commitment. But the businesses that last will be the ones that intentionally prepare people, roles, systems, and successors before a crisis forces the conversation.
In my opinion, I see a tremendous opportunity ahead—but not an unlimited amount of time to prepare for it.
The future of automotive recycling will belong to the businesses that are willing to learn, certify, train, invest, collaborate, and stay engaged with ARA, their state and regional associations, and one another. The formula for success is no longer the same. Yet, opportunities ahead may be some of the strongest this industry has ever seen.
