Japan unveiled a draft legal framework to tighten recycling rules for end-of-life solar panels, aiming to prepare for a surge in waste that could reach as much as 500,000 metric tonnes a year in the late 2030s.
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The proposal, jointly released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Environment Ministry, would move the country from a largely voluntary system to one that eventually makes recycling mandatory across a broad range of panel owners and operators.
Under the current regime, recycling is not required, and most discarded panels are sent to landfill because it is cheaper than recovering materials, government documents show. Glass, which accounts for about 60 per cent of a panel’s weight, is rarely recycled, raising concerns about dwindling landfill capacity as Japan’s early solar installations reach the end of their lifespans.
The new framework would start by targeting large-scale commercial operators that generate high volumes of waste. These operators would be required to submit disposal and recycling plans in advance, with a mandatory review period of around 30 days during which authorities could demand changes if plans fall short of government standards.
At a later stage, the obligation to recycle would be extended more widely to other panel owners, the ministries said, to ensure economic viability while building up recycling capacity.
Recycling companies would also be supported through a national certification system for operators that meet minimum recovery thresholds for materials such as aluminium and glass. Certified firms would be exempted from some prefectural waste handling permits and could receive financial backing through guarantees and subsidies.
Manufacturers, importers and sellers would face new responsibilities to adopt environmentally conscious design and provide detailed information on the materials contained in panels, including hazardous substances, to facilitate downstream recycling.
Japan also plans to support technology development to reduce recycling costs, which officials say remain a key barrier. The government is targeting separation and processing costs of JPY2,000 yen (US$12.7) per kilowatt or less by fiscal 2029, down from about JPY5,000 (US$32) per kilowatt achieved in 2018.
Current nationwide capacity for dedicated solar panel recycling is about 150,000 tonnes per year, far short of the expected peak waste volume, according to the ministries. Budget allocations for fiscal 2025 and 2026 include subsidies for low-carbon recycling equipment, storage facilities and more efficient collection and transport systems.
The government is also funding pilot projects to improve the resale value of recovered materials, particularly glass, through so-called “horizontal recycling” that allows it to be reused in similar products.
At a joint meeting of the Central Environment Council and the Industrial Structure Council on 23 January, members broadly welcomed the plan but called for clearer definitions of which operators would qualify as “large emitters” and how standards would be enforced, according to meeting summaries.
They also flagged the persistent gap between recycling and landfill costs, the treatment of non-subsidised solar projects, and the effectiveness of measures targeting manufacturers as areas needing further work.
The environment minister said in August that requiring manufacturers to bear recycling costs would be difficult to justify legally at this stage, prompting the government to focus the draft framework on waste generators instead.
The government aims to bring the new rules into force within 18 months of promulgation, after finalising related regulations.
