Emerging Solar Panel Recycling Technologies: Are They Truly Circular?

The growing problem of solar panel waste

Since their commercial introduction in the 1950s, Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems have been a hallmark for clean energy innovation. They are systems that convert sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductor materials. However, their growing material footprint is now testing the limits of their thrivability. Photovoltaic (PV) cells, typically made of silicon, generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect, enabling clean and efficient power production without combustion or moving parts.

With rising global installations, it’s crucial to address the challenge of managing end-of-life (EoL) panels. Under a regular-loss scenario, global photovoltaic (PV) waste is projected to reach approximately 1.7 million tonnes by 2030 and nearly 60 million tonnes by 2050. An early-loss scenario could result in up to 8 million tonnes by 2030 and 78 million tonnes by 2050 (International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 2016; PV Magazine, 2022).

SOLAR PANEL WASTE IN AUSTRALIA

In Australia, the contrast is stark. While it’s among the leading countries adopting rooftop photovoltaics (PVs), only a fraction of retired panels are recycled. Forecasts suggest photovoltaic (PV) waste could reach 685,000 tonnes by 2030 and 1.1 million tonnes by 2035 (Australian Energy Council, 2025; Renewables Now, 2025). Less than 10% of these are formally processed through accredited recyclers, with most panels stockpiled, traded informally, or landfilled (ABC News, 2025).

This widening gap between solar panel installations and circular recovery highlights an urgent systems challenge. Key questions include how to responsibly manage end-of-life panels and whether recycling processes are truly recovering high-value materials or merely diverting bulk components with limited reuse potential (ARENA, 2023).

Achieving genuine circularity in solar panel recycling requires both precise measurement and holistic understanding. The THRIVE Framework’s Context-Based Metrics assess energy and material flows, net carbon savings, and material recovery quality against ecological and social thresholds. This can ensure that recycling delivers true regenerative benefits. Complementing this, THRIVE’s Systems Thinking FFF evaluates recycling within the broader photovoltaic (PV) lifecycle, linking design, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life processes to create resilient, interconnected solutions. Together, these approaches help advance SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy by aligning clean electricity generation with responsible material stewardship (United Nations, n.d.).

How solar panels are currently recycled

Understanding how panels are processed today reveals why full circularity remains elusive:

• Collection and Assessment: Panels are collected by installers, waste contractors, or through take-back programs. Panels in working condition are at times resold for second-life uses, in off-grid or low-demand systems (UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures, 2023).
• Disassembly: Frames, junction boxes, wiring, and related components, which share significant module mass, are comparatively easier to recover and re-market (Vinayagamoorthi et al., 2024).
• Delamination: EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) encapsulant removal is a major technical bottleneck. Mechanical shredding is relatively cheap but produces mixed, lower-purity material. Thermal delamination/pyrolysis can preserve wafers and glass, but it is energy-intensive. And chemical/hydrometallurgical separation offers precision at a higher operational cost and environmental control requirements (Zuo et al , 2022)
• Material Recovery: Recyclers commonly recover glass and aluminium. High-value elements, such as silver and silicon, require more complex refining processes. Most facilities stop at bulk recovery due to high energy and quality-control costs (PV Magazine, 2025; ARENA, 2023).
• Reuse Markets: Although some retired panels are still functional, Australia’s reuse market is still in its early stages. Challenges include inconsistent quality standards, limited buyer confidence, lack of warranty coverage, and uncertainty about certification for reused systems (UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures, 2023).

RECENT INITIATIVES

Pilot projects for solar panel recycling are emerging in Australia, particularly in Queensland. The state government, in collaboration with the Smart Energy Council, has established pilot sites, including Pan Pacific Recycling in Brisbane. This helps to process end-of-life panels to recover valuable materials such as silver and copper. Companies such as NuWay Solar, Rexel, Resolarcycle, and Solar Shift participate in the collection and processing of panels from homes, businesses, and solar farms. Many initiatives remain at early stages, and Australia’s vast geography increases transport emissions and costs, limiting access to recycling infrastructure in regional areas (NuWay Solar, 2024; Rexel Australia, 2024; Resolarcycle, 2024; Solar Shift, 2024; Queensland Government, 2024).

Policy frameworks are starting to shift. Victoria’s landfill ban for photovoltaic (PV) modules and the WMRR’s national product stewardship consultation pave the way for a harmonised national approach. These policies stabilise feedstock supply and encourage investment in higher-value recovery technologies (WMRR, 2025).

Barriers persist with high capital costs, uncertain feedstock volumes, mechanical pre-treatment trials, and procurement frameworks that rarely prioritise recycled content. A more coordinated approach linking policy incentives, regional hub networks, and industrial symbiosis is essential for scaling photovoltaic (PV’s) circular economy.

New and emerging solar recycling technologies

Emerging technologies are improving material purity and recovery rates while also addressing energy efficiency and emissions trade-offs.

Thermal Delamination / Pyrolysis

Thermal recycling uses controlled heat to separate and recover materials from solar panels. This process preserves glass and silicon wafers, enabling their reuse. It has strong recovery potential but requires a significant amount of energy (ARENA, 2023).

Hydrometallurgical / Chemical Extraction

Chemical recycling uses special acids or solvents to dissolve valuable materials like silver, copper, and silicon from old solar panels. This method can recover high-value metals very effectively, but it also needs careful handling to prevent pollution. The process is currently being tested in labs and pilot projects before large-scale use (PV Magazine, 2025).

Advanced Mechanical / Sieving Pre-treatment

Mechanical recycling methods use precision sorting and sieving to separate materials before they go through heat or chemical treatment. This step helps reduce contamination and lowers the amount of energy and chemicals needed later. Industry trials show that combining mechanical pre-treatment with downstream refinement achieves high material separation and strong silver recovery (PV Magazine, 2025).

Modular / Repairable Panel Design

Solar panels are increasingly being designed for disassembly, repair, and upgrades rather than disposal. Companies such as Biosphere Solar are developing panels that avoid traditional adhesive encapsulants like EVA. Instead, use edge-seal and clip-based designs that allow components to be separated and reused at the end of their service life (Biosphere Solar, n.d.; TU Delft, 2023). This approach improves repairability, material traceability, and reduces waste during recycling.

Modular and repairable photovoltaic (PV) designs can lower recycling energy requirements and retain more materials in circulation when combined with circular business models (ARENA, 2023; PV Magazine, 2024). Collectively, these innovations help shift the solar industry from a disposal-oriented model toward one focused on service, performance, maintenance, and long-term durability.

Key challenges in achieving circularity

Reaching true circularity means addressing interlinked challenges with systemic solutions:

Scale & Uncertain SUPPLY OF WASTE PANELS

Unpredictable waste volumes make it difficult for recyclers to plan or invest confidently. Establishing take-back programs and regional aggregation hubs can stabilise supply (Arup, 2020).

Energy & Carbon Trade-offs

Some recycling technologies require high energy input, which can offset environmental gains. Powering recovery systems with renewable energy and capturing waste heat helps maintain net-positive carbon outcomes (Oteng et al., 2022; Deng et al., 2024).

Regulatory Hurdles

Weak or inconsistent regulations around solar waste, such as unclear take-back obligations or slow permitting, create barriers to circular systems. Harmonised national and regional frameworks with model circular manufacturing guidelines and fast-track approvals can streamline approvals and improve compliance, removing the bottlenecks (USITC, 2024).

Capital & Technical Barriers

Advanced recovery technologies for solar panel recycling are often capital-intensive, challenging smaller operators lacking access to specialised equipment or technical expertise. Collaborative initiatives, public–private partnerships, can facilitate shared facilities and provide targeted grants, thereby expanding participation and enhancing the scalability of recycling operations. The New South Wales (NSW) Circular Solar Trials program exemplifies how coordinated efforts across various stakeholders can address end-of-life solar panel management challenges (Jahrsengene et al., 2025; NSW Environment Protection Authority, n.d.).

Limited Market Demand

The economic feasibility of recycling solar panels is influenced by the market demand for recovered materials. As the value of raw materials like silicon, aluminium, and silver increases, recycling becomes more economically viable. This trend emphasises the importance of embedding recycled-content targets into procurement policies to create stable demand and support circular business models. Projected growth in the solar panel recycling market highlights the increasing economic incentives for recycling initiatives (MarketsandMarkets, 2025).

Logistics & Transport Emissions

Dispersed rooftop systems make end-of-life collection expensive and carbon-intensive. The logistics of transporting end-of-life solar panels present challenges owing to their size, fragility, and the need for specialised handling. Optimising transportation methods, installer take-back programs, and establishing localised drop-off centres reduce costs and emissions associated with the collection process. Companies specialising in renewable energy logistics are working towards more efficient and sustainable transportation solutions for solar panels and components (NSW Environment Protection Authority, n.d.).

Leakage & Downcycling Risk

Much of today’s solar panel recycling focuses primarily on recovering glass and aluminium, while valuable silicon and silver often remain underutilised. Implementing certification and traceability systems can mitigate material loss and ensure higher-value reuse, enhancing the overall efficiency of recycling processes. Emerging innovations in recycling technologies aim to improve the recovery of these critical elements, reducing the risk of downcycling (IEEE Spectrum, 2024).

Legacy Panel Complexity

Older panels use non-standardised encapsulants and designs that complicate disassembly. Adopting design-for-disassembly and circular design standards can future-proof newer generations of photovoltaic (PV) modules (Arup, 2020).

These challenges highlight that circularity in solar recycling goes beyond technology. It requires collaborative action across governments, industries, and researchers to align environmental, economic, and social outcomes with SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG12: Responsible Production (United Nations, n.d.).

Environmental and economic implications

Solar panel recycling is both an environmental necessity and an economic opportunity. As discussed in a previous THRIVE article, “Recycling Solar Panels: The Next Great Challenge” (Mousquer, 2022), the rapid growth of solar installations could lead to a solar waste tsunami. While recycling can recover up to 95% of a module’s mass, profitability remains constrained because high-value materials like silicon and silver account for less than 6% of a panel’s composition, whereas glass and plastics dominate. The article also noted that a lack of domestic recycling infrastructure, particularly in countries such as Australia, continues to hinder large-scale material recovery and circular innovation. That a lack of domestic recycling infrastructure, particularly in countries such as Australia, continues to hinder large-scale material recovery and circular innovation.

Building on those insights, this article highlights how integrating advanced recycling technologies, modular eco-design, and producer responsibility policies can transform solar waste from a liability into a circular opportunity. Advanced methods can lower greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the need for virgin material extraction and decreasing energy use. Modular and repairable designs cut lifecycle costs by extending panel lifespan, easing procurement pressure, and supporting local job creation (UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures, 2023).

Recycling builds stable supply chains for high-value silver and silicon, stimulating regional manufacturing, and strengthening, domestic solar markets. End-of-life panels contain hazardous materials such as lead and tin, which must be safely managed. Although recycling costs more than landfill disposal, growing demand from sectors like electric vehicle manufacturing, particularly for battery-grade silicon, improves economic viability. By considering environmental and social outcomes together, recycling strategies can maximise thrivability and secure long-term benefits (UNSW, 2024; Monash Lens, 2020).

Is true circularity possible in solar panel recycling?

Yes, when technology is paired with the right policies, market support, and design standards. Achieving true circularity in solar systems relies on several key levers working together:

• Mandated collection and stable feedstock supply.
• Modular and repairable design standards.
• Recycling facilities powered by renewable energy.
• Green procurement and certification programs.
• Regional recycling hubs.
• Transparent monitoring and reporting.

When these strategies work together, solar panel recycling can be both cost-effective and good for the environment, creating a truly thrivable cycle.

Conclusion and Call to Action (CTA)

For Australia to turn solar waste into a circular advantage, coordinated action across government, industry, and research is essential:

• Government: Introduce stewardship laws, fund regional recycling hubs, and incentivise recycling powered by renewable energy (ARENA, 2023; WMRR, 2025).
• Industry: Adopt modular and repairable designs, certify recycled materials, and align procurement practices with circular standards (UNSW, 2024).
• Researchers: Scale up lab innovations, carry out life-cycle assessments (LCAs), and report results using Context-Based Metrics (CBM) (UNSW, 2024).

Immediate priorities include launching national product stewardship, take-back schemes, supporting pilot-to-scale recycling demonstrations with transparent lifecycle reporting, embedding design-for-disassembly in procurement, and requiring CBM-aligned public reporting.

Advanced recycling achieves true circularity when the energy and carbon costs of recovery are lower than producing virgin materials. Integrating life-cycle assessment (LCA) into national recycling strategy ensures that we prioritise methods with the highest yield, lowest emissions, and best material recovery efficiency (PV Magazine, 2025; ARENA, 2023).

By implementing these steps together, we can strengthen domestic material resilience, create local jobs, and build a regenerative, renewable energy future, turning a looming waste challenge into an opportunity.

Achieving THRIVE goals

Australia’s solar success can become a circular materials success by embedding the THRIVE Framework into recycling strategies. Energy and Material Flows track the full lifecycle of photovoltaic (PV) materials and actively recover high-value components like silicon, silver, and copper, while Social Foundations evaluate and strengthen jobs, regional economic activity, and resilience.

While SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG12: Responsible Production promote clean energy and responsible consumption, they lack sector-specific guidance on circularity, material recovery, and social outcomes (United Nations, n.d.). The THRIVE Framework goes further by combining ecological and social metrics, enabling measurable, context-specific circularity that ensures recycling is both environmentally regenerative and socially beneficial.

A Thrivable Framework

THRIVE Project provides the THRIVE Framework in the form of structured Foundational Focus Factors (FFFs) to assess whether solar panel recycling is genuinely circular and regenerative.

Context-Based Metrics (CBM) measure outcomes relative to ecological limits and social thresholds. Applied to solar recycling, CBM tracks the percentage of high-value materials recovered, net carbon savings, energy efficiency, and social impact.

Systems Thinking looks at recycling as part of the whole solar panel lifecycle, from design to market, ensuring energy-heavy processes like thermal or chemical recovery actually provide overall benefits.

Key Context-Based Metrics track how much high-value material, like silver and silicon, is recovered and at what quality. They measure energy use and carbon savings to make sure recycling is climate-positive. They also look at economic factors, such as cost per kilogram of recycled material and jobs created. Circular re-entry is assessed by checking how much recovered material is reused in new solar panels or related products. Social and regional value is measured by the number of jobs and benefits provided to local communities.

By combining energy and material flow tracking, social foundation metrics, and thrivability assessments, the sector can optimise both ecological and social outcomes. Solar panel recycling shifts from symbolic efforts to fully accountable, regenerative circular systems.

These elements of the THRIVE Framework align with THRIVE Project’s broader themes of renewable infrastructure, resource recovery, and urban sustainability. Discover how THRIVE Project is exploring pathways to thriving, regenerative systems. Dive into our articles, podcasts, and whitepapers for insights on sustainability, innovation, and transformative frameworks. Join our webinars and workshops to connect with experts and practitioners tackling real-world challenges. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed and engage with our latest research and initiatives.

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