Steve Fletcher, Managing Director of the Auto Recyclers of Canada (ARC), explains the evolution of the program. “This came out of Environment Canada's National Code of Practice for Automotive Recyclers, developed to support the Retire Your Ride scrappage program. It laid out some pretty stringent compliance requirements for a recycling operation to properly process a vehicle. CAREC goes beyond the structure of the original program and has become an invaluable resource for automotive recyclers in the environmentally sound management of end-of-life vehicles.”

 

There are three goals for the new program, and each is laudable by itself. First, CAREC will convey the legal and mandatory requirements before, during, and after the recycling process and promote best management practices within the industry. Second, it will help to promote pollution prevention and promote the vehicle recovery industry, in turn helping to reduce the ecological impact of the automotive sector. Third, to ensure that there is a consistent set of practices that are aligned with federal, provincial, and municipal regulations, as well as with product and industry stewardship programs.

 

ARC has made it a condition of membership that all Direct Members must maintain their certification. The certification itself requires that the facility pass an independent audit. The audit uses a standardized protocol to measure the facility itself and the processes used.  

 

For more information on CAREC, please visit carec.ca