The New South Wales (NSW) Government has launched public consultation on a proposal to introduce Australia’s first mandatory solar panel recycling scheme, aimed at ensuring that valuable solar panel materials are recovered, reused and recycled rather than discarded.

The proposed product stewardship scheme is intended to divert thousands of tonnes of solar panel waste from landfill. It would require manufacturers and importers supplying regulated solar panels in NSW to contribute funding to support statewide collection, recycling and resource recovery.

Government data shows that NSW has more than 1.18 million rooftop solar systems. As these systems age and more households upgrade to higher-efficiency panels, solar panel waste is expected to rise significantly over the next two decades. The state currently generates approximately 14,000 tonnes of solar panel waste each year, a figure projected to increase to 89,000 tonnes by 2045.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority stated in its consultation paper: “Existing disposal pathways are insufficient to safely and sustainably manage this growing waste stream. Most end-of-life solar panels are still sent to landfill, stockpiled or illegally dumped.”

In addition to releasing public consultation on the draft regulation, the NSW Government has also published an issues paper seeking feedback on how NSW can support the development of solar panel recycling, remanufacturing and manufacturing industries.

Submissions on the draft regulation and issues paper will remain open until 16 November.