Inquiry into Solar Panel Reuse and Recycling Launched by Federal Parliament
The federal parliament has initiated an inquiry into the reuse and recycling of solar panels, shortly after the Albanese government introduced a $25 million pilot initiative aimed at creating up to 100 collection points for used panels throughout the nation.
The inquiry was formally adopted by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water on Wednesday, following a referral from Murray Watt, the federal environment minister. The committee is now seeking written submissions to help define its terms of reference.
Addressing Solar Waste Challenges
This action comes on the heels of a recent report from the Productivity Commission, which, despite being completed last August, highlighted a troubling statistic: only 17 per cent of discarded rooftop solar panels are recycled. The rest are either stockpiled, sent to landfill, or exported for reuse.
The inquiry will delve into the substantial waste issue that accompanies Australia’s solar success and explore potential avenues for retrieving valuable materials from panels that have reached the end of their operational life. Furthermore, the committee will evaluate current disposal methods, weighing the economic and environmental effects between reuse, recycling, and landfill operations, while considering what measures might be needed to foster a sustainable, circular solar industry.
The Importance of a Comprehensive End-of-Life Plan
Anne Urquhart, the federal member for Braddon in northwest Tasmania and chair of the committee, emphasised the necessity of establishing a thorough end-of-life strategy for solar infrastructure. She stated, “To advance Australia’s shift towards a circular economy, we must identify the obstacles to reusing and recycling solar panels at scale, through close collaboration with industry, academia, and experts.”
In tandem with the inquiry, the Albanese government has launched its $25 million pilot programme for solar panel collection sites, targeting one of the major challenges to reuse and recovery—the expenses associated with transporting panels from rooftops to recycling facilities.
This initial programme will concentrate on rooftop solar panels, which is particularly relevant at present as over a third of new installations in certain states are replacing older systems. The aim is to financially incentivise the industry to recycle these panels, and eventually, to tackle the recycling of electric vehicle (EV) batteries as well.
The Productivity Commission report highlighted the lack of cohesive management in the lifecycle of solar PV systems and EV batteries once they are deemed no longer usable. It revealed that in Australia, most end-of-life PV systems end up in landfill or are discarded in shredder floc, with some even being unceremoniously dumped on roadsides and in bushland.
While some private recycling services, such as Sircel, PV Industries, and Ecoactiv, operate in Australia, the recycling rate for solar panel components remains dismally low at just 17%. The remaining 83% of valuable materials fall under waste due to the high costs associated with recycling—approximately six times the expense of sending panels to landfill.
For those interested in contributing to the inquiry, the Terms of Reference can be accessed online, with a deadline for written submissions set for March 27. Further details on how to submit are available on the committee’s website.
