India: CPCB releases draft guidelines for managing solar panel waste

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued draft guidelines for the safe management of waste related to solar modules, panels, and cells. The guidelines aim to address growing concerns about solar waste management in India. They emphasize the health and environmental risks posed by solar waste due to hazardous materials such as cadmium and arsenic and the improper handling or burning of this waste. The guidelines recommend recycling solar waste because solar panels consist of several recyclable materials like copper and silver. These recovered materials could reduce the need for new raw materials for the manufacturing of other solar panels. According to the draft, the responsibility of managing solar waste is with manufacturers, producers, and authorised recyclers. Only these should collect solar waste, while producers should establish collection mechanisms and publicise them. Solar waste should be transported in covered vehicles, especially those authorised for moving hazardous materials. For storage, the guidelines recommend that solar waste should be kept in dry, covered, and well-ventilated spaces with leak-proof flooring to prevent groundwater and soil contamination. Storage and disposal facilities should also be equipped with fire protection systems, emergency escape routes, and an emergency response plan.
The CPCB is accepting public comments on the draft guidelines until the end of June. Khushboo Garg, Senior Analyst at the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), praised the document as a crucial step forward in establishing a structured system to deal with solar waste and mitigate its social and environmental risks.