Desguace Suspiro: Digitalising Reuse in Spain

Desguace Suspiro shows how Spain’s vehicle recyclers can scale reuse through digital cataloguing, AI-led pricing and dismantling, 3D-printed components and visible environmental initiatives. However, Joaquín Cenit Ferrer argues that these gains depend on fair enforcement of EU ELV rules, stronger action against unregulated operators and a successful generational transition.

Desguace Suspiro manager working with digital tools in the office. — Joaquín Cenit Ferrer

Joaquín Cenit Ferrer, Manager at Desguace Suspiro del Moro S.L., a vehicle recycling company in Granada, Spain, discusses how digitalisation, AI, 3D printing and stronger environmental engagement are reshaping vehicle recycling. He also examines the pressures created by EU ELV regulation, unfair competition and generational change across Spain’s dismantling sector.

From traditional dismantling to digital reuse

Desguace Suspiro del Moro S.L., is an ATF based in Granada, Spain, with a strong focus on digitalisation, operational efficiency and circular economy principles.

In recent years, we have evolved from a traditional dismantling business into a highly digitalised operation, capable of processing and cataloguing more than 500 parts per day. We are fully integrated with international marketplaces, allowing us to compete in a global environment.

Industry representation under growing pressure

The Andalusian Association of Dismantlers (AAD) plays an important role in representing the sector and supporting authorised operators. As regulatory pressure increases and unregulated channels continue to distort competition, the association helps defend a professional, traceable and compliant model for vehicle recycling.

Making the environmental value of reuse visible

In collaboration with the local council of Padul, we have developed a project in which one tree is planted for every €1,000 spent on reused parts, in the customer’s name. This creates a direct and tangible link between the purchase decision and its environmental impact.

This initiative was born from a simple idea: if we talk about circular economy, we must make its impact visible.

The objective is not only compensation, but awareness. Choosing a reused part already reduces emissions, resource consumption and waste. We go one step further by making that impact visible.

Using 3D printing to keep more parts in circulation

We are working with a vocational training institute on a project to address a major limitation in the sector: manufacturers often sell components only as part of larger assemblies, making individual reuse impossible.

The project focuses on reconstructing brackets, housings and small components using 3D printing, allowing otherwise reusable parts to remain in circulation.

We are still in an early phase, but the results are promising. We are prioritising low structural-load parts with high demand and limited availability as individual components.

In the medium term, we believe 3D printing could become a key tool for vehicle recyclers, provided there is a clear regulatory framework and no artificial restrictions from manufacturers.

Turning AI into practical operational gains.

Artificial intelligence is not a future trend; it is already transforming our daily operations.

We have implemented AI across several areas:

Pricing optimisation based on real-time market data
Dismantling recommendations focused on high-demand parts
Automated cataloguing and product descriptions
Customer service improvements

This has shifted our business from experience-based decisions to data-driven operations.

My advice is to start with practical applications that directly impact sales or efficiency. AI does not replace professionals, but it significantly enhances their capabilities.

Ensuring ELV regulation strengthens reuse, not restricts it

The EU has now approved the definitive text of the new ELV Regulation. In the ELV sector, producers (vehicle manufacturers and importers) are the parties primarily responsible for managing end-of-life vehicles, a responsibility already established under Directive 2000/53/EC. Spain transposed that Directive through RD 1383/2002, RD 20/2017 and RD 265/2021, currently in force, as well as Law 7/2022, whose Article 31 defines Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Article 32 sets out producers’ obligations under this framework. Despite having clear legislation on this matter, the Spanish Government has never formally recognised the individual systems submitted by producers, citing regulatory non-compliance. As a result, Spain has never had a genuine EPR system, neither individual nor collective. Authorities have been highlighting this gap since 2017, and some regional governments have even sanctioned producers over it.

The new Regulation now requires, under Article 15(3a), Article 18(4a) and Recital 33(a), among others, the creation of PRO systems and contracts with ATFs that must be fair, transparent and non-discriminatory. It introduces an explicit requirement for manufacturers to select treatment centres based on transparent, objective, and non-discriminatory criteria, together with a genuine push toward effective enforcement, which, to me, is the fairest possible approach.

This directly addresses a structural weakness our sector has been pointing out for years: a producer responsibility obligation that has existed in law for over two decades but has never been properly enforced, under any model. With more than 1,400 authorised treatment centres in Spain, ensuring fair and open access to this market is essential, not only for the businesses involved but for the credibility of the entire ecosystem. The priority now is making sure this principle is actually enforced in practice for the first time, rather than simply remaining written into law.

Combining experience with a new generation of innovation

We are experiencing a generational transition in the sector.

The new generation brings digitalisation, business vision and customer focus. At the same time, the experience of the previous generation remains essential in technical knowledge, operational processes and regulatory expertise.

The future lies in combining both: experience provides stability, while innovation drives growth.

If we achieve this balance, the vehicle recycling sector in Spain can become a European benchmark.

Vehicle recycling is not a future solution; it´s the present, and it is already delivering real environmental and economic value. The priority now is to ensure that regulation enables this reality to grow, rather than limiting it.