According to the International Energy Agency, more than 70,000 solar panels are installed every hour around the world. This rapid deployment is expected to grow year by year, and with it, the number of obsolete modules.

Solar waste recycling programs and current global recycling policies are not ready to handle the increasing influx of panels. There is a need for a thoughtful and disciplined program to ensure this material is reused and recycled appropriately to encourage a circular economy and ensure our industry's sustainable progress is not erased by damaging material end-of-life.

The benefits of solar panel recycling and reuse strategies go beyond saving landfill space and stopping toxic waste, but turning that waste into an economic resource. Instead of mining endless raw materials, aluminum, glass, silicone, and more abundant metals such as copper and silver can be used in the process, reducing energy consumption (IPCC, 2013) and conserving scarce natural resources. This is extremely important as we continue on our path to power the world with solar energy.

I know recycling is considered expensive, mostly because it's not a fee companies are used to. Landfilling panels costs much less, as has become industry practice, not only because of the expense, but also because of the scarcity of locally recycled solar panels.

This situation is changing. Recyclers are scaling up to be able to process more and more solar panels; but for this practice to grow there needs to be demand for these services and we cannot wait for legislation to be in place. By then, the number of used/damaged solar panels will likely reach massive levels and there will be no infrastructure to support the large number of panels that need to be recycled.