The Renewable Energy Alliance (RE-Alliance) has joined a coalition of 60 organisations calling on the federal government to establish a mandatory recycling scheme for solar panels within the current parliamentary term.
RE-Alliance, an independent not-for-profit that has worked with regional communities on the shift to renewable energy for more than a decade, recently released a Framework for Action outlining steps for industry and governments on managing renewable energy technologies at the end of their life.
Andrew Bray, National Director of RE-Alliance, said Australia already has the capacity to recycle most renewable energy technologies.
“Regional communities want assurances that renewable projects will be managed well at the end of their life. As well as being an important environmental consideration, materials reuse and recycling can provide new economic opportunities for local industries,” he said.
Bray emphasised that solar panels, in particular, are highly recyclable. “More than 95% of solar panels can be recovered and reused or recycled in Australia if the federal government delivers a system that includes all elements of the process: design, reuse, recycling and manufacturing,” he said.
He added that recycling is a key step toward building a circular economy in the renewable energy sector, highlighting the long-term potential of materials recovery.
Industry estimates suggest that by 2045, recycling solar panel elements could supply all of Australia’s silver and aluminium needs for new panels, reducing reliance on new resource extraction.
Bray said the coalition’s joint statement is about ensuring certainty for regional communities and building economic opportunities around renewables.
“This important work will provide much-needed certainty for regional communities and additional economic opportunities from renewables. Our Framework sets out the range of actions required to achieve this,” he said.
