NSW Takes Lead on National Solar Panel Recycling Scheme

Australia is preparing for a surge in solar panel waste, which is projected to almost double within the next five years. To address this challenge, New South Wales (NSW) is driving efforts to establish a national product stewardship scheme that manages solar panels throughout their entire lifecycle.

A discussion paper was recently presented at the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council meeting in Sydney, proposing a nationally mandated program to divert solar panels from landfill and direct them toward recycling or remanufacturing.

NSW is already working on a similar mandatory stewardship initiative for batteries. According to projections, solar panel waste in Australia will increase from about 59,340 tonnes in 2025 to roughly 91,165 tonnes by 2030.

The government highlights that more than 95% of a solar panel is recyclable, with valuable materials such as aluminium, glass, copper, silver, and silicon that can be recovered and reused. The Smart Energy Council also estimates that nearly one-third of solar panels could be repurposed rather than discarded, contributing up to 24 gigawatts of energy by 2040—enough to power six million homes annually.

Authorities have agreed that NSW will lead initial work with other jurisdictions to draft a Regulatory Impact Statement. This document will outline options for a mandatory national stewardship scheme aimed at building a strong recycling and reuse industry for solar panels and related batteries.

Additionally, the Commonwealth government is backing the development of low-cost solar PV recycling technologies through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).