Final Thoughts
By Michael E. Wilson, ARA Chief Executive Officer
michael@a-r-a.org
Automotive Manufacturers’ Long History of “Trashing” Used
Automakers have been peddling these anti-environmental positions for nearly a century.
battled against the very cars and parts they have produced. This topic, among others, is highlighted in a new book by author Dr. David Lucsko entitled, Junkyards, Gearheads, and Rust: Salvaging the Automotive Past. In his book, Dr. Lucsko notes the entry into thewrecking (“salvage”) business by two vehicle man- ufacturers as early as the 1920s and 1930s. As the automotive industry grew in the 1900s to the 1920s, more enhanced vehicles entered the marketplace in greater numbers with each passing year. Many owners sought to sell their current cars to fund the purchase of a newer vehicle. The growing number of sec- ondhand automobiles became a used “problem” for manufacturers and deal- ers by the mid-1920s as the market became much more saturated. In the United States in 1923, new cars outsold used cars, three to one. By 1925 the sales were evenly split and by 1927 new cars claimed only a third of the market. Auto manufacturers, desperate to prevent past sales from undermining their current markets, began developing programs to dispose of used cars and their parts. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Report on Motor Vehicle Industry in 1939 detailed these so- called junking programs -- four of which actually operated. Fast forward to today and auto manu- facturers are still operating from the same playbook. However, it is a more pervasive and aggressive campaign to limit the reutilization of original equip- ment manufacturer (OEM) parts. ARA believes that automakers are pursuing this action by promulgating deceptive statements to an unsophisticated con- sumer audience in an attempt to under- mine the viability of recycledOEMparts.
S 62 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2016
ince the early decades of the auto- motive industry, manufacturers have
As auto manufacturers continue to ramp up their attacks, ARA is pursuing a multi-pronged approach to protect and promote the recycled parts industry. ARA has reached out to auto manufac- turers directly, met with consumer groups as well as the FTC and urged a serious investigation into the actions of manufacturers that continue to engage in deceptive, unfair trade practices and make false advertisements without a shred of research to substantiate their claims. Auto manufacturers must be held accountable for the true motivation behind their lack of support and attacks on parts reutilization. Asmadeabundantly clear inJunkyards, Gearheads, and Rust: Salvaging the Automotive Past, automakers have been peddling these anti-environmental posi- tions for nearly a century. It is time for automakers to abandon these positions on the reutilization of parts and stand by the durability and quality of the parts they produce.
These corporate decisions significantly undercuts stewardship commitments to conserve resources and protect the glob- al environment, and contradicts many automakers’ publicly stated environmen- tal principles.
ARA urges all professional automotive recyclers to globally join together to hold the automakers accountable on these important economical and envi- ronmental issues. Lastly on a personal note, I encourage all professional automotive recyclers to read Dr. Lucsko’s book. While the title may make one wince a little, the author truly understands the negative connota- tions of the “J” word, but chose to embrace the word that is forever tied to the rich history of this industry. Once beyond the title, one will truly appreciate Dr. Lucsko’s thoughtful insight into the industry.
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