Federal regulations in the United States currently play a limited but evolving role in the recycling of solar panels. At the federal level, solar panel recycling is not yet mandated, but solar panels discarded at end-of-life are considered solid waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), regulated principally under Subtitle D for non-hazardous waste and Subtitle C if panels are identified as hazardous waste.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees the management of solar panel waste, especially focusing on components that may be hazardous. When decommissioned solar panels are tested and found to qualify as hazardous waste, strict disposal and recycling protocols apply, and failure to comply can result in significant penalties. Recognizing the growing volume of end-of-life solar panels, the EPA is moving toward formalizing recycling regulations by proposing a rule to classify hazardous waste solar panels under the universal waste regulations of RCRA. This would streamline handling requirements, promote proper recycling, and ease regulatory burdens on waste generators.
Meanwhile, solar panel recycling requirements and policies are more prominent at the state level. For example, Washington State was the first to mandate manufacturer responsibility for recycling solar panels under the Solar Incentives Job Bill passed in 2017. Other states like California, Hawaii, New Jersey, and North Carolina have enacted or are enacting end-of-life policies requiring decommissioning plans that include reuse or recycling strategies, particularly for large-scale solar projects.
In summary, federal regulations currently:
- Classify end-of-life solar panels as solid waste under RCRA.
- Require hazardous panels to be handled under strict hazardous waste rules.
- Are evolving toward universal waste designation to facilitate streamlined recycling protocols.
- Do not yet mandate recycling but provide a regulatory framework for waste management.
State regulations fill in gaps by mandating recycling and establishing end-of-life management plans for solar panels, reflecting a patchwork approach where federal regulations set baseline controls and states push further toward circularity in solar panel lifecycle management.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-role-do-federal-regulations-play-in-the-recycling-of-solar-panels/
