Solar Panel Recycling
How Solar Panel Recycling Works?
Divert your solar panels from ending up in landfill. Engage Ecoactiv to recycle them and make certain their raw materials enter the circular economy to be used in the manufacturing of new solar panels and other similar products.
Why you should recycle your old solar panels
Don’t let your solar panels go to waste
The Australian solar industry has grown exponentially over the past two decades, with more than 2m PV systems installed on residential rooftops. While PV solar systems are praised for its ability to provide a sustainable source of energy, there is a looming waste management issue that isn’t spoken about nearly as often.
What happens to the thousands of solar panels when they fail to perform or come to the end of their useful lives?
It’s estimated that 100,000 to 150,000 solar panels need replacing every year. By 2050, solar panel waste is projected to be over 900 thousand tons in Australia alone! It’s important for these panels to be recycled. Otherwise, the valuable resources that can be reused to make more solar panels will end up in the landfill and leach into the environment.
Solar panel recycling will help:
- conserve the supplies of the finite resources used to manufacture the panels
- provide the materials to be reused for producing new solar panels
Types of solar panels and equipment you can recycle
You can recycle any of the following types of panels and equipment with Ecoactiv: Monocrystalline Solar Panels, Polycrystalline Solar Panels, Thin-Film Solar Cells, Amorphous Silicon Solar Cell, Biohybrid Solar Cell, Solar Mounting Racks, Solar Mounting Frames and Inverters.
Recycling condition of your solar panels or equipment
Depending on the solar panels you have, your system has a typical life expectancy of 20 to 25 years. The efficiency of your system will decline anywhere from 6 to 10 per cent in the first 10 years and slightly more the years’ after.
You can recycle your solar panel or solar equipment at any stage of life. Whether it’s in working condition or end of its life, we’re happy to take it off your hands.
Parts of your solar panel that can be recycled
Each solar panel has about 80 per cent of crystalline silicon that can be recovered through a refined recycling process. There are also other recyclable parts including electric junction boxes, glass and plastics, and aluminium frames and brackets.
Organise a collection for old panels, inverters and more!
Why choose Ecoactiv for Solar Panel recycling?
Ecoactiv combines technology and reverse logistics to offer consumers a better way to give their old items, new life and participate in enabling a circular economy. It is our mission to support the industry in taking back and recycling end-of-life solar panels across Australia. We have refined the solar panel recycling processes and have collection and dismantling centres in all major states.
Divert Waste from Landfill
- Prevent toxic leaching, protect the environment and extend the useful life of materials from e-waste via the circular economy.
Reduce Resource Depletion
- Help recover valuable resources including precious metals, reducing the need for further extraction of earth’s natural resources.
Create Additional Jobs
- Create jobs for the local economy including collection & transportation, sorting and disassembly.
Frequently asked questions
Depending on the solar panels you have, your system has a typical life expectancy of 20 to 25 years. The efficiency of your system will decline anywhere from 6 to 10 per cent in the first 10 years and slightly more the years’ after. You can recycle your solar panel or solar equipment at any stage of life. Whether it’s in working condition or at the end of its life, we’re happy to take it off your hands.
Each solar panel has about 80 percent of crystalline silicon that can be recovered through a refined recycling process. There are also other recyclable parts including electric junction boxes, glass and plastics, and aluminium frames and brackets.
In the solar panel recycling process, the first stage involves shredding the panels into numerous smaller pieces to expose various components for easier detection and separation in stage 2. In the second stage, the shredded pieces undergo a meticulous separation process using over 10 different detectors, including those based on color, pattern, magnetic, eddy currents, and advanced technologies. The detectors identify and separate materials such as glass, copper wiring, circuit boards, steel, aluminum, plastics, and cables. Accurate material separation is crucial for successful recycling. In the final stage, the separated commodities are returned to the industry for the manufacturing of new items, closing the recycling loop.
Enquire about our solar recycling services
Fill in the form below with your solar panel recycling enquiry and we’ll get back to you shortly.
