Old solar panels have become a growing headache for the North Coast and the rest of the state, but Lismore MP Janelle Saffin says a proposed new scheme could turn that waste problem into an opportunity, as a federal inquiry examines the same issue nationally.
Ms Saffin said the Minns Labor Government had started consulting on Australia’s first mandatory solar panel recycling scheme for New South Wales.
Ms Saffin said the aim of the scheme would be to ensure valuable materials in old solar panels are recovered, reused and recycled rather than end up in landfill.
The proposed mandatory product stewardship scheme would require solar panel brand owners to take responsibility for the end-of-life management of their products, Ms Saffin said.
Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe said the scheme was designed to get ahead of a looming waste problem.
“NSW has embraced rooftop solar, and now we’re making sure those panels don’t become tomorrow’s landfill problem. Solar panels contain valuable materials that can be recovered and put back to work,” Ms Sharpe said.
“A mandatory product stewardship scheme can help build a circular economy for solar panels, while supporting new recycling and manufacturing opportunities here in NSW.”
NSW leads the nation in solar uptake, with more than 1.18 million rooftop solar systems installed across homes, businesses, schools and community facilities. As those systems age, growing numbers of panels are ending up in landfill.
Around 14,000 tonnes of solar panel waste is generated in NSW each year, a figure predicted to grow to 89,000 tonnes by 2045.
Valuable materials such as aluminium, glass, silicon, copper and silver can be recovered from old solar panels and reused in new products and manufacturing industries, Ms Saffin said.
The government has released an issues paper alongside the draft regulation, seeking feedback on how the state can support the growth of solar panel recycling, remanufacturing and manufacturing industries. Consultation will draw on views from unions, industry, recyclers, manufacturers, researchers, local government, workers and the community.
Feedback will inform the final design of the scheme, with the aim of building a system that reduces waste, recovers valuable resources and positions NSW as a leader in solar panel recycling and circular manufacturing.
Submissions on the NSW draft regulation and issues paper are now open. For more information and to have your say, visit https://yoursay.epa.nsw.gov.au/solar.
The state consultation comes as the issue is examined at a national level, with the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water holding a public hearing in Sydney on Thursday, 24 September, as part of its inquiry into solar panel reuse and recycling.
The NSW Government is among those giving evidence, alongside UNSW academics, PV Industries, the Smart Energy Council, Veolia Australia and New Zealand, the Australian Council of Recycling, the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia, the Business Council for Sustainable Development Australia and Standards Australia.
Committee Chair Anne Urquhart said the Committee was interested to hear from a range of industry experts on potential solutions and policy options.
“The Committee is interested to hear from a range of industry experts on potential solutions and policy options to help overcome the barriers to establishing an effective solar panel reuse and recycling industry in Australia,” Ms Urquhart said.
“We are interested in understanding how measures like product stewardship, extended producer responsibility, investment in appropriate infrastructure and whole-of-life data and traceability systems for replaced and decommissioned solar panels could support the growth of the industry.”
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