Government promotes domestic recycling and circular economy in solar sector

Key facts

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) estimate India will generate about 600 kilo-tonnes of solar waste by 2030.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified the E-Waste (Management) Rules 2022 mandating safe recycling of solar power system waste.
• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) operates an online Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) portal for collection, storage and disposal of solar panel waste.
• MNRE launched the Innovation Challenge for Circularity in Renewable Energy Technologies funding research on recycling, second-life applications and sustainable design of solar modules and batteries.
• The Department of Science and Technology (DST) invited proposals to develop economically viable recycling methods through academia-industry partnerships.
• The Ministry of Mines set up a Rs. 1,500 crore (US$ 162.3 million) recycling incentive under the National Critical Mineral Mission to recover critical minerals from renewable energy e-waste.