Blue Mountains City Council is offering solar panel recycling to local residents in a bid to further reduce waste to landfill and transition to a zero-waste city.
Residents can now drop off solar panels that have reached the end of their life at the Blaxland and Katoomba Resource Recovery and Waste Management Facilities. Undamaged solar panels cost $15 to recycle, and damaged panels cost $20 at Council’s facilities.
The Council has partnered with Australian e-waste recycling business Sircel to provide the recycling program to residents.
“This new program will allow us to divert solar panels away from local landfill, which is a huge win,” said Mayor, Mark Greenhill.
“More than 90% of an undamaged panel’s components will then be recycled or reused in the circular economy.
“In Australia more than two million solar panels reach the end of their life every year and that creates a pretty serious issue for landfill and the environment, so finding a way to recycle them isn’t just smart, it’s essential.”
The solar panel recycling program supports Council’s Towards Zero Waste strategy 2022-2031, which provides a detailed action plan presenting clear and practical strategies for continuing to reduce waste to landfill and transition to a zero-waste city.
Find out more about Council’s waste management services: bmcc.nsw.gov.au/waste.
