Solar panel waste is projected to reach about 90,000 tonnes a year by 2030. One of Australia's leading science organisations says a $10 fee per panel could help solve the problem.
CANBERRA — The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering (ATSE) has proposed introducing an upfront fee of $10 to $20 per solar panel to fund a nationwide recycling program. However, industry observers warn that logistics and transport expenses could cause the actual processing costs to exceed the capital generated by the proposed surcharge.
Australia currently generates approximately 60,000 tonnes of solar panel waste each year, a figure projected by federal authorities to reach 90,000 tonnes by 2030. Roughly one-third of Australian residences feature rooftop solar installations, with about 300,000 new systems added annually. Despite this widespread adoption, Productivity Commission data indicates that only 17 per cent of decommissioned solar panels are recycled.
During a parliamentary inquiry focused on the reuse and recycling of solar infrastructure, ATSE recommended establishing a product stewardship framework that distributes technical and financial responsibilities among manufacturers, importers, and consumers. Acting CEO Peter Derbyshire noted that the country currently lacks a regulatory structure governing product stewardship for solar equipment. Although the federal government placed solar panel stewardship on its national priority list in 2017 and announced a national recycling pilot program intended to launch in mid-2026, a spokesperson for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water confirmed that procurement for the trial remains incomplete.
Some academic figures view the current volume of photovoltaic refuse as manageable within Australia's broader waste system. Andrew Blakers, a solar systems professor at the Australian National University, stated that solar panels represent roughly one-fifth of 1 per cent of the country's solid waste stream, translating to roughly 5 kilograms per person annually. He noted that around 90 per cent of a panel consists of glass, alongside metal framing and cabling, making un-recycled panels safe to crush and dispose of in landfills similar to laminated automotive windshields.
By comparison, figures from the National Waste and Resource Recovery Report 2024 show that Australia generated 27 million tonnes of construction and demolition debris, 15 million tonnes of organic waste, and 10 million tonnes of coal ash during the 2023–24 period. Internationally, US National Renewable Energy Laboratory projections suggest cumulative global solar waste could reach 160 million tonnes between 2016 and 2050 under a worst-case scenario, compared to an estimated 100 billion tonnes of municipal trash and coal ash combined over the same timeline.
Legal and circular economy experts stress that geographic and regulatory factors must be carefully evaluated when designing a national framework. Penelope Crossley, an associate professor at the University of Sydney, highlighted that European recycling costs range between €300 and €500 ($490 to $815) per tonne under EU rules that require producers to fund end-of-life processing. She cautioned that freight expenses—which account for 10 to 15 per cent of total recycling expenditures in Europe—could rise substantially in remote regions like Wilcannia compared to urban centers like Sydney. She also advocated for a user-pays model to prevent lower-income households from indirectly subsidizing recycling costs, while emphasizing the importance of panel reuse prior to disposal.
Proponents point out that structured stewardship schemes are already operating across Australia for goods such as televisions, computers, plastics, packaging, and oil. Damien Giurco, circular economy chair at the University of Melbourne, supported collecting recycling funds at the point of purchase to avoid the challenges of charging consumers at disposal. Additionally, research from the University of Adelaide co-authored by Professor Jian Zuo projects that global solar panel recycling could evolve into a $US670.8 billion ($950.6 billion) market by 2060, unlocking economic value while preventing the unnecessary stockpiling or landfilling of recoverable resources such as polysilicon and silver.
Originally reported by ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Aug 16, 2026.
