On the evening of April 24, the 9th session of the “Zeng Shuo” Micro Lecture Hall, themed “Current Status and Prospects of PV Module Recycling in Europe,” jointly organized by the Photovoltaic Recycling Industry Development Cooperation Center of the China Green Supply Chain Alliance and the Xiuzhou Photovoltaic Technology Museum, was successfully held via online livestream! The livestream was hosted by Junyu XU, Deputy Secretary-General of the Photovoltaic Recycling Industry Development Cooperation Center, and specially invited Jessie GUAN, Strategy Director of RESOLAR, as the guest speaker, bringing everyone a highly informative sharing session.

This livestream was simultaneously broadcast on multiple platforms such as the Xiuguang PV Exhibition Center, PV Green Supply Chain, International Energy Network, and PV Headlines, attracting 2.2w+ online views and fully demonstrating the high level of attention and industry enthusiasm in the PV recycling sector.

• Policy cornerstone: with the WEEE Directive as the legal core, it clearly defines mandatory recycling targets for PV modules (85% collection rate, 80% material recovery rate), and fully implements EPR Extended Producer Responsibility, shifting recycling responsibilities firmly to the production side.
• Core operation: through Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) to coordinate the entire recycling process, undertaking compliance obligations such as registration, fee payment, network development, processing supervision, and data reporting, thereby realizing the closed-loop implementation of “polluter pays.”
• System highlight: building a four-tier recycling network of power station → collection point → regional warehouse → processing plant, covering residential and commercial & industrial PV, with compliant and traceable processes throughout the entire chain.
  2. Practices in Six European Countries: Differentiated Models, Benchmark Experience

• Germany: market-oriented operation + dual classification (B2C/B2B), with standardized processes for registration - fee payment - entrustment. In 2022, the recycling volume reached 16430 tons, leading Europe in recovery rate.
• France: SORENexclusive monopoly model, unified industry standards, 9 major centralized centers + 6 authorized processing plants, annual processing capacity exceeding 4.5 million tons, with a material recovery rate target above 95%.
• Italy: multiple PROs collaborate and compete, with classified management of household / professional waste, and GSEensuring recycling through subsidy holdback funds. In 2022, the recycling volume reached 21493 tons, ranking first in the EU.
• Spain: 12 authorized PROs operate collaboratively, with well-established registration and fee payment processes, multiple recycling plants in place, and estimated decommissioned volume reaching 34000 tons by 2030.
• Belgium: led by the dual organizations Recupel+PV Cycle, innovating eco-modulated fee rates, with 88 collection points + door-to-door collection services. In 2023, recycling volume exceeded 6000 tons.

• Netherlands: managed centrally by the OPEN Foundation, improving recovery cost protection for the market, launching a domestic high-value recycling project in 2025, with a target processing volume of 22000 tons by 2032.

• In 2022, 18 European countries collected a total of 48395 tons of discarded PV modules, with Italy and Germany serving as the main drivers of recycling.
• By 2030, decommissioned volumes in many countries will see explosive growth, recycling capacity will continue to expand, and high-value utilization and standardization will become the core directions of the industry.
• This provides a clear reference path for Chinese PV enterprises in overseas compliance, supply chain greening, and recycling technology deployment.