Solar Panels Are Piling Up in Landfills. Here Is What Responsible Recycling Actually Looks Like.

Written By:

Chris Regan

Founder

The industry sold solar panels, rightly, as a clean break from fossil fuels. What it was slower to reckon with is what happens when those panels stop working. The US installed them at a pace that once seemed impossible and now the first large wave of those systems is approaching retirement. Around one million tons of solar panel waste will need to be managed by 2030 [1]. Fewer than 10% of decommissioned panels are currently recycled [2] while the rest go to landfill: often legally, often by default and almost always because no one planned for this moment.

If you own a solar system or are facing a decommissioning decision, this guide covers what’s actually happening to those panels. It also explains why the recycling picture is more complicated than it sounds and what a responsible path forward looks like.

Why Solar Panel Recycling Matters Right Now

Picture a homeowner who installed panels fifteen years ago. The system has been reliable, but the roof now needs replacing and the panels are coming off. They’re functional, possibly resellable and built from materials like silver, copper, silicon and aluminum that someone worked hard to mine. They also contain small amounts of lead. Surprisingly, most disposal systems are not yet equipped to handle this situation well, and most panel owners have never been asked to think about it.

The scale of that problem is significant. The EPA projects the US will need to manage around one million tons of solar panel waste by 2030. By 2050, that figure climbs to an estimated 10 million tons, making the US the second-largest producer of end-of-life panels in the world [1]. Notably, the materials inside those panels also represent a real economic opportunity. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimates that recoverable materials could be worth $450 million globally by 2030 and $15 billion by 2050 [4]. Recovering them reduces demand for newly mined raw materials and feeds directly back into panel manufacturing supply chains [5].

The gap between that opportunity and current reality is, however, wide. Recycling a standard silicon panel costs roughly $15 to $45, while landfilling it costs as little as $1 to $5 [3]. Without federal mandates or stronger financial incentives, most panels end up in landfills. For now, in most states, that is entirely legal.

What’s Inside a Solar Panel, and Why It Makes Recycling Hard

Understanding what a panel contains explains both why recycling is worth doing and why it is so difficult to do well.

The dominant type in the US market is the crystalline silicon panel. Glass makes up approximately 75% of its total weight, followed by an aluminum frame, silicon solar cells, copper wiring and silver contacts [6]. Those materials are valuable. The silver alone, present in tiny quantities, is more economically significant than its small volume suggests. Polymer encapsulant layers bind all of it together, keeping the panel watertight and durable for thirty years. That polymer is the core problem. It does its job so well that extracting the valuable materials requires considerable force, heat or chemistry.

Some panels, particularly older models, also contain small amounts of lead or cadmium [1]. That detail moves them from “difficult to recycle” into “potentially hazardous to landfill” territory, with real implications for how the law requires you to handle them.

How the Solar Panel Recycling Process Works

The durability that makes panels reliable is exactly what makes them harder to take apart. Here is what the process actually involves [7].

Step 1: Disassembly

Recyclers remove the aluminum frame, junction box and external wiring first. This is the most commercially straightforward stage: aluminum and copper both have well-established recycling markets, so this step recovers material with clear value [6]. Think of it as stripping the easy parts before the harder work begins.

Step 2: Separating Glass From the Solar Cells

This is where most recyclers hit a wall. Those polymer encapsulant layers bond the glass pane tightly to the solar cells beneath it. Pulling them apart cleanly requires one of three approaches, or a combination [6]:

• Thermal processing heats the panel in a furnace to burn off the polymer, loosening the bond between glass and cells
• Mechanical methods shred, mill or crush the panel into fragments separated later by density or size
• Chemical treatment uses solvents to dissolve the encapsulant without destroying the materials underneath

Each approach involves trade-offs in cost, energy use and material quality [7]. In practice, glass recovered from shredding often ends up as low-grade cullet, meaning granular material suitable for construction aggregate rather than new panel manufacturing [8]. It is usable, but it falls well short of full recovery. Higher-grade glass requires more controlled separation processes that the industry has not yet deployed at scale.

Step 3: Recovering Silicon, Silver and Other Metals

This is the most technically demanding stage and the one the industry is furthest from solving commercially.

Silver, copper and silicon together account for roughly two-thirds of a panel’s material value [8]. They are therefore also the most worth recovering, and the hardest to access cleanly. Recyclers recover silver through chemical leaching: an acid solution dissolves the metal contacts, then electrowinning deposits the purified silver and copper back out of the solution as solid metal. The process works, but it requires specialized equipment that adds meaningful cost [7].

Silicon recovery presents similar challenges. Coatings and bonded layers make it difficult to extract silicon in a form suitable for reuse in new panel manufacturing. As a result, silicon recovery remains an area of active development rather than standard commercial practice.

According to NREL, advanced methods can theoretically recover 90% or more of a panel’s materials [9]. In practice, however, commercial facilities fall well short of that figure. Closing that gap is where most current investment in the sector is directed.

What Happens If You Do Nothing

For individual panel owners, landfill disposal is understandable: it is cheaper, faster and, in most states, still legal. However, the risks of that choice are worth understanding before you make it.

The RCRA classifies panels containing lead or cadmium above certain concentrations as hazardous waste [1]. If you dispose of hazardous waste improperly, even unknowingly, you can face liability under federal and state environmental law. Moreover, you will not necessarily know whether your panels meet that threshold without testing.

Beyond legal risk, landfilling valuable materials is also a missed opportunity. Panels that still produce power likely have resale value. Even those that don’t still contain silver, copper and aluminum worth recovering. Furthermore, as state-level regulations tighten, the window for treating this as someone else’s problem is narrowing.

The US Regulatory Landscape

There is currently no federal law that mandates solar panel recycling. Your obligations therefore depend heavily on where you are. End-of-life panels fall under the broader RCRA framework. Specifically, panels with elevated levels of hazardous metals face stricter handling and disposal requirements [1].

In October 2023, the EPA announced a rulemaking effort to reclassify solar panels as “universal waste.” This category also includes batteries and mercury-containing devices, and it carries simpler rules for collection and transport to certified recyclers [10]. As of 2025, however, that rule remains unfinalized, leaving the regulatory picture fragmented.

In the absence of a federal framework, states have moved at different speeds to fill that gap:

• California was the first to classify panels as universal waste, requiring reporting from any company handling more than 200 pounds of used panels [11].
• Hawaii has adopted the same classification, giving panel owners a clearer recycling pathway [11].
• Washington passed the first solar panel extended producer responsibility (EPR) law in the US. Under EPR, manufacturers must fund collection and recycling programs at no cost to consumers [5].
• North Carolina introduced decommissioning plan requirements for solar projects over 2 megawatts, effective November 2025 [11].
• 29 states now have some form of utility-scale decommissioning policy, though enforcement and scope vary significantly [11].

For residential panel owners, the best starting point is your state environmental agency. Commercial operators should already be checking whether decommissioning obligations apply to their projects, since the scope of those rules is expanding.

The Economics and the Growing Industry

The commercial solar panel recycling market is growing. SolarCycle, based in Texas, has processed close to 500,000 panels and targets one million by end of 2025 [11]. First Solar has run a recycling program for its thin-film panels since 2005 and designs new panels with end-of-life recovery in mind. The global recycling market stood at approximately $384 million in 2025 and analysts project it will reach $548 million by 2030 [11].

One factor that significantly changes the economics is whether your panels still have functional value. Panels removed for upgrades, roof work or property sales often still produce 70–80% of their original rated power. That means they are resellable, not just recyclable, and the conversation shifts from “how much will disposal cost” to “how much can I recover.”

CLR Solutions’ consignment option, part of its Solar Removal and Recycling service, is built around exactly that scenario. Rather than disposing of equipment that still has market value, CLR assesses it, lists it and sells it on your behalf, splitting the proceeds. For panels that have genuinely reached end of life, CLR routes materials to vetted, certified downstream recycling partners, so the default is never a landfill.

How to Choose a Responsible Solar Panel Recycler

Not every company that accepts old solar panels handles them responsibly. The recycling chain has multiple steps, and a recycler who takes your panels off-site without transparent downstream documentation may simply move the disposal problem elsewhere.

Two independent certifications indicate that a recycler meets verified standards:

• R2 (Responsible Recycling): requires facilities to manage materials responsibly and maintain documented downstream practices [6].
• e-Stewards: applies stricter standards on hazardous material handling and prohibits export of e-waste to countries without equivalent environmental protections [6].

It is also worth checking whether your panel manufacturer offers a take-back program. Some warranties include end-of-life provisions that most owners never read, so it is worth reviewing your agreement before sourcing a separate recycler [6].

For more on evaluating a disposal partner, see CLR Solutions’ Best Practices for E-Waste Disposal.

CLR Solutions has handled electronics recycling and asset disposition in New Jersey and the tri-state area for over 15 years. For solar customers, that means a team that already knows the certification requirements, the downstream partners and the documentation a responsible disposal process demands. The team applies the same chain-of-custody standards to solar equipment that it applies to data-bearing devices. Every job starts with a tailored removal plan. The team then assesses materials on arrival and provides written documentation covering how your equipment was handled from pickup through final processing. For a detailed look at how that works in practice, see the Solar Panel Removal and Recycling in New Jersey guide, or get in touch to get a quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are solar panels considered e-waste? Yes. The EPA classifies end-of-life solar panels as electronic waste, subject to e-waste handling requirements under applicable federal and state law [1]. Additionally, panels containing certain concentrations of lead or cadmium may meet the threshold for hazardous waste classification under RCRA, which carries stricter disposal requirements.

Can solar panels go in the trash? No, and depending on what they contain, doing so may violate federal or state hazardous waste regulations [1]. If you are unsure whether your panels contain regulated materials, contact a certified recycler or your state environmental agency before disposing of them. The cost of getting it wrong can exceed the cost of recycling.

Who pays for solar panel recycling? In most US states, the cost falls on the panel owner or whoever handles decommissioning. Washington is the exception: its EPR law requires manufacturers to fund collection and recycling at no cost to the consumer [5]. As more states adopt similar frameworks, that burden is expected to shift toward manufacturers over time.

Which states have specific solar panel recycling laws? California, Hawaii and Washington have the most developed solar-specific regulations. North Carolina introduced new requirements in 2025. Twenty-nine states have some form of utility-scale decommissioning policy [11]. Check with your state environmental agency for the rules that apply to your situation, as residential and commercial obligations differ.

Sources

[1] US Environmental Protection Agency. End-of-Life Solar Panels: Regulations and Management.https://www.epa.gov/hw/end-life-solar-panels-regulations-and-management

[2] Yale Environment 360. As Millions of Solar Panels Age Out, Recyclers Hope to Cash In.https://e360.yale.edu/features/solar-energy-panels-recycling

[3] Chemical & Engineering News (ACS). Solar Panels Face Recycling Challenge.https://cen.acs.org/environment/recycling/Solar-panels-face-recycling-challenge-photovoltaic-waste/100/i18

[4] International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). End-of-Life Management: Solar Photovoltaic Panels.Referenced via US EPA and US International Trade Commission.

[5] National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). What It Takes to Realize a Circular Economy for Solar Photovoltaic System Materials. https://www.nrel.gov/news/detail/program/2021/what-it-takes-to-realize-a-circular-economy-for-solar-photovoltaic-system-materials

[6] US Environmental Protection Agency. Solar Panel Recycling. https://www.epa.gov/hw/solar-panel-recycling

[7] IEEE Spectrum. Recycling Solar Panels: Preventing Photovoltaic Waste. https://spectrum.ieee.org/solar-panel-recycling-2668499710

[8] Chemical & Engineering News / PMC (NIH). Solar Panels Face Recycling Challenge (Full Text).https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8949621/

[9] National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Solar Photovoltaic Module Recycling: A Survey of U.S. Policies and Initiatives. https://docs.nrel.gov/docs/fy21osti/74124.pdf

[10] Inside Climate News. As EPA Stalls, States Are Left to Handle Solar Panel Waste.https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18102025/epa-solar-panel-waste/

[11] Earth911. Solar Panel Recycling in 2025.https://earth911.com/home-garden/recycle-solar-panel