The recycling targets for photovoltaic (PV) modules differ significantly between the European Union (EU) and the United States (US), reflecting variations in policy frameworks and regulatory environments.
EU Recycling Targets
- Legislative Framework: The EU has established clear guidelines under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, which includes specific recycling and recovery targets for waste PV modules. By 2018, the target was to achieve an 80% recovery rate and a 75% recycling rate by mass. This target increased to 85% for recovery and 80% for recycling thereafter.
- Implementation: The EU has successfully implemented these policies, achieving high recycling rates, often up to 95% in some countries where PV module recycling is mandated.
- Facilities and Technologies: The EU hosts several advanced PV recycling facilities, such as Veolia in France and Tialpi Srl in Italy, which employ high-value recycling processes like delamination to recover materials efficiently.
US Recycling Targets
- Policy Framework: Unlike the EU, the US lacks federal-wide policies specifically targeting PV module recycling. State-level initiatives and private sector efforts are more prevalent, but they do not provide uniform national standards or targets for recycling.
- Recycling Rates: As a result, the US has significantly lower recycling rates compared to the EU, with only about 10% of PV modules being recycled.
- Facilities and Technologies: Although some facilities in the US offer PV recycling services, such as We Recycle Solar in Arizona and SOLARCYCLE in Texas, the overall infrastructure is less developed than in the EU, with fewer high-value recycling processes available nationwide.
In summary, the EU has established and enforced robust recycling targets for PV modules through legislation like the WEEE Directive, resulting in high recycling rates and advanced recycling technologies. In contrast, the US lacks comprehensive federal policies and lags behind in both recycling rates and technological development.
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