Kemikalier och klimat - Kemikalieinspektionen

Manufacturer take-back provides an important incentive for the reduction of
toxics in manufacturing and encourages the design of products that are easier and
safer to recycle. It also gives companies an incentive to recycle decommissioned
and defective solar PV panels into new solar panels.
The European Photovoltaic Industry Association (through its PV Cycle initiative)
and the German Solar Business Association have endorsed full lifecycle
accountability and product take-back for the solar PV sector. Germany accounts
for both the largest solar PV market and the largest share of production.
A few companies are already establishing take-back and recycling programs. An
Arizona-based firm has adopted the world’s first pre-funded take-back policy for
its cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar panels. A German company has established a
pilot-scale recycling facility that uses defective and used crystalline silicon (c-Si)
solar panels to make new panels. Further research on recycling is being conducted
on solar PV panels made from other materials and using other recovery processes.
C. Ensure Proper Testing of New and Emerging Materials and Processes
All new chemicals and materials developed for use in the solar PV industry should
be properly tested. The following general guidelines should be applied:
• Policies should incorporate a precautionary approach, requiring that those
who advocate the use of new chemicals or processes prove their safety (rather
than requiring communities or workers to prove their dangers).
• Apply green chemistry principles as a screen for PV cell technology
based on organic materials and inorganic crystals and for other emerging
solar cell technologies before a prototype is available for market.
In addition, more extensive testing should be conducted on new chemicals or new
materials being introduced and on the chemicals already in use. The latter
category includes cadmium telluride (CdTe); cadmium telluride quantum dots;
copper indium selenide (CIS) crystals; gallium arsenide (GaAs); and gallium.
D. Expand Recycling Technology and Design Products for Easy Recycling
To meet the challenges of solar PV recycling, manufacturers should be
encouraged to:
• Invest in recycling infrastructure. Communicate with existing glass,
electronics, and battery recycling companies to build the infrastructure and
capacity to recycle solar PV.
• Design for recycling. Design all solar products for ease of recycling by
reducing the use of toxic materials and designing products to be easily
disassembled.
• Use silicon recovered from consumer electronics products. Because solar
grade silicon does not have to be as pure as the c-Si used in computer microchips,
the reuse of silicon recovered from consumer electronics (like televisions,
computers, and cell phones) should be explored.
• Develop recycling processes for all rare metals. Develop plans to recover all
rare metals such as tellurium (CdTe panels) and indium (CIS panels).
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