Accreditation schemes will only help scale recycled OEM (ROE) parts if they move beyond “badge” status and prove operational trust: gated entry, clear governance, independent audit, lifecycle process controls, and measurable delivery, warranty, recall and return performance. The webinar’s conclusion was that consistent grading and clean, traceable data, increasingly supported by AI image-led tools, are now the critical requirements.
Accreditation in auto recycling is often discussed as a marketing badge. In the latest IRT (International Roundtable on Auto Recycling) webinar, co-hosted by Auto Recyclers of Canada’s Steve Fletcher and Auto Recycling World’s Haydn Davies, the conversation was more operational: how schemes are built, how they are governed, and what they need to measure if insurers, repairers and marketplaces are to rely on recycled original equipment (ROE) parts at scale.
Presenters Kristi Werner, CEO of United Recyclers Group (URG), US, and Chris Daglis, Managing Director of Auto PARTnered Solutions, Australia, used the session to compare approaches across North America, the UK and Australia, while a lively Q&A repeatedly returned to two themes: confidence in grading and confidence in data.
URG’s programme: building “quality assurance” around lifecycle performance
Werner set out a quality assurance programme being developed through URG and the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA), combining legacy elements from URG’s 7000/8000/9000 programme and ARA’s Gold Seal, and borrowing process thinking from Six Sigma, ISO 9001 and lean approaches.
A key message was that entry would be gated. Before a recycler can apply, Werner said they would need to complete ARA’s CAR certification (environmental compliance), plus recall certification, high-voltage certification and state/local regulatory compliance.
From there, the programme would extend beyond “part at the door” checks into a full lifecycle view, from vehicle purchase through inventory, dismantling and shipping. For professional buyers, that translated into measurable expectations: delivery standards, analytics on traceability, and monitoring of credits/returns to identify repeat issues.
Werner also highlighted “table stakes” that matter in claims environments: minimum liability insurance, minimum warranty requirements and a “no-hassle return policy”. A notable planned feature was recall management: an automated tool to notify customers if a previously sold part is later recalled.
Oversight was another practical detail the audience pushed on. In response to Fletcher’s question about who decides “who’s in, who’s out”, Werner said governance would sit with a joint committee, two members from URG, two from ARA, and a jointly selected chair, supported by staff from both organisations, while the boards would remain separate from day-to-day decisions.
UK lessons: market growth is real, but the “next level” depends on standards
Daglis drew on the UK’s Vehicle Recyclers’ Association Certified (VRAC) experience, arguing that accreditation and certification are ultimately tools to strengthen the sector’s brand identity and move buyers away from “junkyard” assumptions. He said the UK programme brought together recyclers, insurers, collision repair stakeholders and eBay, with “over 100 recyclers” certified at one stage, and that certified operators have seen year-on-year growth in channels such as eBay, where a certified recycler badge is displayed.
But Daglis was clear that credibility requires independence: “a certification program… needs to be independent to a degree… independently audited,” he said, describing how, in the UK, auditing firms were selected via an RFI process.
That message was reinforced by VRA Chair Andy Latham, who shared fresh data from the Auto Body Professionals Club’s State of the Industry report: the share of respondents saying they fit “green recycled parts” rose from 57% (2019) to 91% (2025), while green parts as a percentage of total parts increased from 2.5% (2023) to 4.1%.
However, Latham flagged a warning sign: awareness of the VRA scheme increased (56% in 2024 to 69% in 2025), yet a rising share of respondents said certification did not influence where they bought green parts (36% “no” in 2024, 45% “no” in 2025). “We haven’t got certification right,” he said, calling for consistency in grading, availability and delivery performance.
Australia: consultation in early 2026, with eBay as a key catalyst
Looking ahead, Daglis said Australia is now moving towards an Auto Parts Recyclers Association of Australia-owned certification programme, targeting industry consultation on the standard in January and early February 2026, with a revised document by the end of Q1 (end of March) and a potential market launch thereafter.
As in the UK, he stressed the commercial reality: “it’s critical that there’s a carrot”, a return on investment beyond “running a better business”, to drive meaningful uptake.
AI and grading: from “damage codes” to image-led objectivity
If there was one topic that unified the room, it was grading. Fletcher noted that ARA damage codes may work inside the industry, but that external stakeholders “have no idea what we’re talking about”, a gap that contributes to returns and friction in transactions.
Both speakers pointed to AI as a practical next step. Werner said image-led tools could enhance URG’s “data exceptions report” by analysing photos to spot damage and identify mis-graded parts, calling AI “imperative” and predicting it will be “a very big piece” of the industry in 2026. Daglis described development work involving image and damage recognition, including the concept of capturing multiple shots per second while filming a vehicle to auto-grade parts.
What it means for recyclers
The webinar underlined that accreditation is no longer just a “badge” conversation. Buyers are asking for auditable systems: consistent grading, reliable fulfilment, defensible warranties, traceability and clear governance. With AI increasingly positioned as the bridge between internal grading language and external expectations, recyclers investing in image quality, data hygiene and process discipline are likely to be best placed to capture “next level growth” as insurers and marketplaces push recycled parts volumes through 2026.
If you missed the webinar, please view it below:
Further reading on Auto Recycling World
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Review: Driving the Future: How Data and Digitalisation Are Transforming Auto Recycling
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Key Takeaways From The 82nd ARA Convention
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Inside The KZD Standard Revolutionizing Dutch Auto Recycling
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Recomotor’s Shift From Listings To Logistics: A Tech-Led Auto Recycling Revolution
