For nearly five decades, Cocoa Auto Salvage has been a trusted name in Florida’s Space Coast community — helping drivers find affordable, high-quality OEM parts while protecting the planet through responsible recycling. Founded by Doug and Linda Lathem in 1978, this family-run business has grown from a two-person operation into a modern, environmentally conscious recycling facility. As a SHiFT Vehicle Retirement Initiative® partner, Cocoa Auto Salvage ensures every retired vehicle is recycled to completion, reducing carbon emissions and promoting a truly circular automotive economy. Learn how they’re driving sustainability forward in Central Florida.

Before household recycling programs existed, there was auto recycling. For more than a century, automotive recyclers have been reusing, repurposing, and responsibly processing end-of-life vehicles. This article explores the roots of the industry—from early scrap yards to today’s high-tech recycling facilities—and highlights how automotive recyclers became pioneers of sustainability, efficiency, and circular design. Learn why auto recycling remains one of the most impactful environmental solutions and how programs like SHiFT® ensure every vehicle is recycled to completion.

Circular economies challenge the wasteful “take, make, dispose” model by keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible. From repairing and reusing to recycling and regenerating, circular thinking offers a smarter path forward for individuals and communities alike. This post explains what circular economies are, how they compare to today’s consumption habits, and how SHiFT™ helps us make the transition — starting with our vehicles.

In this Federal News Network feature, SHiFT® Director Chapin Griffith explores how vehicle recycling offers government fleet managers a more efficient, sustainable alternative to auction-based disposal. While traditional resale often results in minimal returns and potential environmental risks, certified recycling programs like SHiFT® ensure end-of-life vehicles are dismantled, refined, and reused responsibly — keeping hazardous materials out of landfills and supporting the circular economy. By working with licensed domestic recyclers, agencies can reduce overhead, improve sustainability performance, and contribute to a stronger U.S. supply of affordable, high-quality recycled parts.

SHiFT®, the Vehicle Retirement Initiative committed to sustainable auto recycling, has named former Amazon executive Chapin Griffith as its first Director of Vehicle Retirement Services. Griffith previously managed Amazon’s fleet remarketing operations, developing strategies that retired more than 20,000 vehicles annually. Now, he joins SHiFT® to help scale environmentally responsible end-of-life vehicle recycling across the U.S. and beyond. In Auto Remarketing, Griffith discusses how SHiFT® is tackling one of the industry’s biggest challenges: managing aging vehicle fleets efficiently and sustainably while ensuring retired cars are fully recycled — not resold or exported to pollute elsewhere.

In Western Mass News, Westover Auto Salvage in Belchertown is recognized as the first western Massachusetts recycler to join the SHiFT Vehicle Retirement Initiative® — a national program dedicated to reducing emissions from end-of-life vehicles. The story highlights how SHiFT® and Westover collaborate to responsibly decommission unsafe, high-polluting cars through a meticulous depollution process that recovers parts, fuel, and energy. By recycling oil to heat their facilities and retiring older vehicles from the road, Westover is proving that environmental responsibility and local business success can go hand-in-hand — saving up to 10 tons of carbon per car each year.

To keep pace with an evolving auto recycling industry, the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) launched the Automotive Recycling Training Institute (ARTI) to centralize and modernize its education programs. In Recycling Today, ARA Executive Director Sandy Blalock discusses ARTI’s expanded curriculum, including safety training for EV dismantling, fire prevention, and bilingual accessibility. The story also spotlights ARTI’s partnership with SHiFT® on the Vehicle Retirement Initiative, a program incentivizing recyclers to reuse original parts from end-of-life vehicles. Through education, certification, and collaboration, ARTI and SHiFT® are shaping a safer, more sustainable future for vehicle recycling.

In Recycling Today, SHiFT® announces its groundbreaking Vehicle Retirement Initiative — a national program that helps consumers recycle end-of-life vehicles responsibly while reducing their carbon footprint. Partnering with the Automotive Recycling Training Institute (ARTI), SHiFT® ensures every vehicle is dismantled in accordance with environmental best practices and that quality reused parts stay in circulation. By retiring older, less efficient internal combustion vehicles, SHiFT® supports cleaner air, stronger recycling networks, and the circular reuse of automotive materials. Vehicle owners participating in the program may also qualify for a charitable tax deduction.

Australia’s leading network of professional auto recyclers, Parts Plus, is expanding its sustainability mission through a new collaboration with SHiFT®. In this Auto Recycling World feature, General Manager Chris Nobbs discusses how the partnership brings SHiFT’s initiative to Australia — aligning the country’s recycling network with global efforts to promote green parts and carbon-positive vehicle retirement. By working with the Automotive Recyclers Association and embracing SHiFT’s data-driven, environmentally responsible framework, Parts Plus continues to raise the bar for safety, compliance, and collaboration across the recycled auto parts industry.

Floodwaters from recent hurricanes have damaged more than 347,000 vehicles across the U.S., but what may seem like total loss could actually hold significant value. In Recycling Today, ReElement Technologies and national organizations like the Automotive Recyclers Association and SHiFT® discuss how recyclers can extract critical minerals and rare earth elements from storm-damaged vehicles. These valuable materials — used in EV batteries, magnets, and other components — can be purified and reintroduced into manufacturing, supporting the circular economy and reducing reliance on imports. Responsible vehicle recycling transforms disaster recovery into sustainable resource recovery.

As America navigates yet another political pivot, the conversation around environmental responsibility and consumer choice in the automotive industry continues to evolve. Chapin Griffith, Director of SHiFT Vehicle Retirement Initiative, highlights how responsible end-of-life vehicle retirement can significantly reduce environmental impact. Amid shifting federal policies and reduced EV incentives, programs like SHiFT empower consumers to make greener choices, proving sustainability doesn’t always require buying new, just retiring old the right way.

Westover’s recent adoption of the SHiFT Vehicle Retirement Initiative, a global enterprise that helping consumers and companies recycle end-of-life vehicles with environmentally responsible protocols.

The SHiFT Vehicle Retirement Initiative® (SHiFT), a global social enterprise committed to helping consumers and companies recycle End-of-Life Vehicles with environmentally responsible protocols from start to finish, has hired its first-ever Director of Vehicle Retirement Services with the addition of Chapin Griffith to its leadership team. Griffith joins the company from Amazon, where he served as the company's senior product manager of delivery fleet remarketing. He is based in Denver.

The Belchertown-based company announced the milestone this week, marking a significant step forward in efforts to reduce automotive-related emissions and promote a circular economy in the region. The partnership requires participating recyclers to commit to fully retiring a vehicle’s engine once it enters the SHiFT program, ensuring that high-emission, low-efficiency vehicles are permanently removed from circulation.

SHiFT joins recycling leaders at the ARA Convention & Expo in Birmingham, AL to push for cleaner, greener standards in auto recycling—benefiting consumers, fleet managers, and insurance companies alike.

Clearing out your garage isn’t just about making space—it’s about making choices. From paint cans to old bikes (and maybe even a car that hasn’t moved in years), what you do with the clutter can have a lasting impact on the planet. Here’s your guide to a greener, smarter garage clean-out.

SHiFT aims to ensure that vehicles taken in to benefit charities meet an environmentally responsible end.

SHİFT is featured in Fleet Management Weekly for our innovative approach to responsibly retiring fleet vehicles. Learn how we’re helping fleets reduce waste, recover materials, and support a greener transportation future.

From its beginnings in a pop-up trailer to today’s solar-powered growth, Westover Auto Salvage is breaking the junkyard stigma. Discover how this family business is redefining eco-friendly auto recycling through innovation, customer care, and partnerships that put sustainability at the forefront.

Want to retire your vehicle without harming the planet? Our SHiFT FAQ answers the most common questions about eco-friendly auto recycling — from how the process works to what happens to your car afterward.

SHiFT and our partner M&M Auto Parts are in the national spotlight! NPR and All Things Considered featured our work in eco-friendly auto recycling.

“Green” doesn’t always mean sustainable. Learn what sets SHiFT’s eco-friendly auto recycling partners apart, and how we ensure your vehicle is dismantled responsibly, safely, and with measurable climate impact.

Not all auto recycling is created equal. Many programs cut corners, resell polluting parts, or fail to dispose of hazardous materials. SHiFT is different—we recycle vehicles to completion, track your carbon impact, and prioritize the environment over profit.

Want to reduce your carbon footprint but not sure where to start? From rethinking your ride to reworking your routines, these six tips make sustainable living simple.