Australia Had 1.4 Million Solar Panels Due for Recycling, Only 100,000 Were Processed
'Where is the rest—1.3 million panels? A lot are still at solar farms ... because of transportation cost, they have not moved the panels,' says Neeraj Das.
TL;DR
- Issues of scale and an uninformed investor base are hampering Australia's solar panel recycling industry.
- Australian companies can recycle 90% of solar panel components like aluminium, glass, and copper.
- Recovery of remaining materials, such as silicon and silver, is still in the experimental phase.
- In 2025, 1.4 million solar panels were due for recycling, but only 100,000 were processed by one firm.
- Transportation costs are a major factor preventing panels from being moved to recycling facilities.