Over the past 120 years, the automotive industry has experienced several transformative paradigm shifts that have dramatically changed the process of mass-producing cars and light trucks.

SEATTLE--Boeing and ELG Carbon Fibre are partnering on a project to recycle excess aerospace-grade composite material.

PFINZTAL, Germany--As carbon fiber-reinforced plastics continue to become major components of aircraft, it’s increasing the need for sustainable recycling concepts.

CUPERTINO, CA—Apple Inc. has developed a large-scale robotic line to disassemble returned iPhones. The line’s 29 free-standing robotic arms remove SIM card trays, screws, batteries, cameras and other parts for recycling.

TOKYO—Toyota has bumped up efforts to reduce waste by recycling old vehicle bumper covers and other scrap parts.

Manufacturers are pursuing a wide variety of “green” initiatives, such as energy-efficient lighting, landfill gas, recycling, solar panels and wind turbines. In fact, more than one-half of our 2014 State of the Profession respondents claim their plant has implemented green-related programs during the past 12 months. That’s a 3 percentage point increase over 2013 and 8 percentage points higher than 2012.