CHANTILLY, VA — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a new Recovered Material Advisory Notice recognizing the environmental benefits of using rebuilt automotive parts. The notice, which was issued on April 30, also ensures that the Federal government must use rebuilt parts for use on government vehicles when available.

Under the terms of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the EPA is to designate goods which are or can be made with recycled or recovered materials. Once an item is so designated, RCRA requires that procuring agencies — including Federal and state agencies — must purchase items of that type that have the highest percentage of recovered materials practicable. This new recommendation will require agency contracting officers and those contractors servicing agency vehicles or providing parts for them, to look for sources of rebuilt parts and to use them if they are available.

Upon news of the new program, the Automotive Parts Rebuilders Association (APRA) issued a press release encouraging remanufacturers to look for and take advantage of government contracting opportunities in their area and the non-governmental facilities that are servicing government vehicles locally.

The only specifications which have to be met for eligible parts is that they must be processed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s “Guides for the Rebuilt, Reconditioned and Other Used Automotive Parts Industry” and that the part must be tested for compliance with the FTC Guides and defects corrected as necessary. Unlike many other designated parts the EPA did not specify that an eligible rebuilt part needed to contain a minimum percentage of recycled or recovered material probably because this is very difficult to show from part to part.

“This is welcome news to the automotive and truck parts remanufacturing industry — well deserved recognition for an industry that has been quietly making positive contributions toward protecting the environment for the past 75 years,” said William Gager, president of APRA.

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