Just learned solar panel recycling is a massive problem, not a solved thing

I was reading a report from the National Renewable Energy Lab last week and found out that by 2030 we'll have around 1 million tons of dead solar panels in the US alone. I always assumed they were easily recyclable, but the process is expensive and most end up in landfills in places like Arizona. How are we supposed to call this clean energy if we're just creating a new waste crisis? Anyone else look into what their local recycler actually does with panels?

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mark_green19d ago

Really appreciate you posting this, it's been bugging me too since I saw that same report. I called our local e-waste place and they flat out told me they don't take solar panels, had to drive 40 miles to find a guy who said he'd "store them" which probably means they sit in his lot forever. It's wild we build all this stuff without a clear plan for the end, feels like we just moved the problem from the atmosphere to the landfill.