OARA 2026 Annual Convention: A Convergence Around Used Tires

Held March 26–28, 2026, at the Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites in Markham, Ontario, the OARA annual convention brought together the essential players of Canada’s automotive recycling industry — the professionals who, at the end of a vehicle’s useful life, recover, sort and return thousands of parts back into circulation, keeping cars and trucks on the road longer while reducing waste.

Among the event’s highlights, the Stakeholders’ Key Issues Roundtable — gathering OARA, UCDA, OTDA, AARO, CARI and AIA — stood out as the richest moment of exchange. A unanimous finding emerged: the management of surplus used tires is a shared environmental challenge across the sector. Each association presented its position, revealing that despite different operational realities, all face the same issues around collection, recovery and extended producer responsibility. Auto recyclers, as the first link in this chain, play a central role in reducing the environmental footprint of Canada’s vehicle fleet — giving every car and truck a second life, one part at a time.

These roundtable discussions proved to be a prime opportunity not only to generate meaningful conversations, but to see how the industry can come together and collaborate on key issues going forward.