Solar Panel Waste Could Reach Two Million Tonnes
A RMIT University and RAND report warns Australia lacks the national recycling laws needed to manage rising panel waste.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Energy
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Should Australia require mandatory recycling of old solar panels nationally?
RMIT University and RAND released a report on 29 October 2026 projecting that rooftop solar could generate more than 1.1 million tonnes of waste by 2035. A federal $24.7 million national solar panel recycling pilot has stalled since May.
Why it matters
Solar panels are classified as hazardous waste in Victoria and cannot be sent to landfill, so growing volumes create a disposal problem for Australia. Recovering materials such as silver, copper, silicon and aluminium could reduce waste while creating jobs.
The report estimates more than $1 billion in materials, including silver, copper, silicon and aluminium, could be extracted from panels by 2035, and recovery could create 9.2 jobs for every 10,000 tonnes of waste. Between 45 and 65 per cent of decommissioned panels are still functional, but only 10 per cent are tested.
The players
RMIT University
RMIT University is a large public university in Melbourne that co-released the report on solar panel waste with RAND.
RAND
RAND is a US-based nonprofit research organisation that co-released the report on solar panel waste with RMIT University.
La Trobe University
La Trobe University is a public university in Victoria whose Bendigo team is researching reuse of recovered solar panel components in concrete.
The details
La Trobe University's Bendigo team is researching the reuse of recovered panel components in concrete as a partial cement replacement, working with outdated household panels and panels damaged in transport supplied by two regional solar groups. Voluntary industry recycling rules have proven inadequate, and the report calls for a mandatory product stewardship scheme to be crafted by mid-2027.
Timeline
Since 2001: Solar installations in Australia began accumulating.
May: The federal $24.7 million recycling pilot stalled after a complaint.
29 October 2026: RMIT University and RAND released the solar panel waste report.
2035: Projected 1.1 million tonnes of rooftop waste and more than $1 billion in recoverable materials.
2050: Projected national panel waste reaches two million tonnes.
The Big Picture
Victoria classifies solar panels as hazardous waste and bars them from landfill, which means rising installations push disposal costs and handling demands onto the recycling system. The report's warning that voluntary industry rules have proven inadequate shows why national recycling laws are now being urged.
Households with decommissioned panels in Victoria cannot send them to landfill, so owners will need a recycling or reuse option when replacing systems. More than 4.5 million systems have been installed in Australia since 2001, so disposal arrangements will affect a large number of homeowners.
The takeaway
Solar panels that are still functional can often be tested and reused, so owners replacing systems should ask about testing and recycling options before disposal. Mandatory national rules, if introduced, would make these choices more consistent across the country.
What happens next
A mandatory product stewardship scheme is projected to be crafted by mid-2027.
Further reading
For broader context on how panel supply is changing, see Energy coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Bendigo Advertiser.
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Should Australia require mandatory recycling of old solar panels nationally?
