Parts availability has been a concern for garages over the last three years, with the effects of pandemic lockdowns and the war in Ukraine putting major strain on supply chains worldwide. At the same time, the cost-ofliving crisis has meant consumers will now see a cost saving from a recycled part as a real bonus. The growing awareness of how recycling parts has a environmental benefit too means that eBay chose the perfect moment in May to relaunch its Certified Recycled programme, which sells recycled vehicle parts from 81 certified sellers. One of these is Poole-based Charles Trent. The family-run business has been operating for almost 100 years, having been founded in 1926 by the great-grandfather of current CEO Marc Trent. While they might have a lot of history behind them, as eBay UK’s Category Lead - Vehicle Parts and Accessories Laura Richards pointed out, they are looking forwards: “For these guys it is all about process. This is leading the UK, technology-wise.” A lot of it comes down to data, as the company’s Chief Operating Officer Neil Joslin observed: “We have a ton of data analysis. A large chunk of it is led by demand from customers. What we are not doing is taking every part off the car, then putting it on the shelf and letting it gather dust.” 54 AFTERMARKET JULY/AUGUST 2023 ON THE ROAD www.aftermarketonline.net Aftermarket got its hands dirty when eBay and one of its Certified Recycled programme partners opened the doors to the media As he pointed out, they tend to see two types of car: “There are vehicles at their natural end of life, and then there are insurance write-offs.” The first stage after the vehicles are brought in sees them assessed. Some will be assigned to be stripped down, others will be crushed immediately. On the insurance write-off side, some will be able to be sold on as functioning cars, while others will be set for dismantling. Before that, they are cleaned, wheels and tyres are removed and all fluids are drained, including fuel, oils and all other liquids. We then moved into the first workshop, where some of the more complex vehicles that could not be run down the de-production line are stripped down. A BMW X5 was beginning its treatment when we went in, and was still being worked on when we left a couple of hours later. This was in stark contrast to the 20 minutes it takes the guys to deconstruct the vast majority of vehicles. This area included an EV bay. Every vehicle is electronically tagged, and each part harvested from it is also tagged, showing where it is from. “The reason for this is for provenance” said Neil. “The market for illegal parts is massive, and this is a way of dealing with it.” At this point, the technicians can also provide an additional level of assessment, in case a part CERTIFICATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME Certification brings recycled parts to a new audience ”
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