1. Nevada’s Zero-Landfill Recycling Program
Nevada has pioneered 100% material recovery through advanced recycling technology, including AI-driven sorting and eco-friendly chemical processes to extract rare-earth elements and metals. This model emphasizes circular economy integration, where recovered materials re-enter manufacturing supply chains, reducing reliance on mining.
2. Indiana’s Construction Site Recycling
The Honeysuckle Solar project achieved 88% waste recycling rates during construction without added costs, demonstrating practical scalability. While focused on construction waste, this exemplifies how standardized recycling protocols can be applied to PV lifecycle management.
3. Maryland’s Proposed Regional Approach
Maryland’s 2025 circular economy strategy recommends landfill bans paired with regional partnerships to centralize recycling infrastructure and reduce costs. The plan advocates collaborating with neighboring states (e.g., Virginia, North Carolina) to pool volumes and share facilities.
Federal Replication Opportunities
- Mandate material recovery standards (e.g., Nevada’s 100% recovery target).
- Incentivize regional hubs to overcome low in-state volumes, as proposed in Maryland.
- Fund AI-driven sorting R&D to achieve cost-effective separation of PV components.
- Adopt landfill bans with clear exceptions for unrecyclable materials, preventing cross-state waste dumping.
These state models show that policy-driven recycling targets, regional collaboration, and technological innovation are critical to scaling PV recycling nationally.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/are-there-any-successful-state-level-initiatives-for-pv-recycling-that-could-be-replicated-federally/
