Published Jul 24, 2024 • 1 minute read
Workers install solar panels on a new home in the community of Ambleton in northwest Calgary on Jan. 19, 2023. Photo by Gavin Young /Postmedia In a notice about solar panel recycling to contractors, the Department of Public Works said used panels pose a “significant pollution risk” if put in landfills, reports Blacklock’s Reporter.
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The department warned landfilling used panels could see toxic chemicals leach into groundwater.
“The volume of end-of-life solar panels will grow which will result in significant pollution risks,” said the notice.
“The overall environmental impact of solar panels is much higher if they are dumped in landfills where hazardous chemicals and heavy metals can leach into groundwater.”
A budget of $1.2 million was set for research on how to recycle panels at low cost.
The notice said due to high cost, panels containing aluminum, tellurium, antimony, gallium and indium “in some thin film modules are currently not being recycled.”
“Solar panels are constructed in such a manner that the many parts comprising the panel are difficult to separate and recycle individually,” said the notice.
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“Separating those materials and uniquely recycling them is a complex and expensive process as opposed to the cheap method of discarding the entire panel into a landfill. This challenge will be seeking recycling solutions for solar panels at any time during their entire lifecycle.”
The notice said “the Government of Canada already utilizes solar panels in seven different locations across the country and in more than five missions around the world.”
And given climate targets “the use of solar panels by the Government of Canada is projected to keep increasing, both domestically and abroad,” added the notice.
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https://torontosun.com/news/national/used-solar-panels-in-landfills-could-lead-to-chemical-leaching-in-groundwater-report
