Are Solar Panels Hazardous Waste?

While most solar panels have been installed in the last decade, some have been in use for much longer. If you have any solar panels nearing the end of their useful life, you may find yourself wondering: are my solar panels hazardous waste?

According to US DOE and EPA, solar panels have a lifespan of about 30–35 years and, due to varying levels of metals like lead and cadmium, must be treated on a case-by-case basis when it comes to their disposal.
 

“Some solar panels are considered hazardous waste, and some are not, even within the same model and manufacturer.”
US EPA, End-of-Life Solar Panels: Regulations and Management

Dispose of Solar Panels Safely

While it might sound like a headache, used or waste solar panels need to be disposed of properly. If you try to skirt your compliance responsibilities, you’re likely to find the intensity of that headache much greater than you anticipated.

Nobody needs to get hurt for US EPA enforcement officials to issue citations and penalties. If human health is affected by your actions in a workplace setting, you can expect OSHA compliance to enter the picture, too. Our advice: take regulatory compliance seriously from the start.

Our training is designed to simplify the regulations, too, because after doing this for almost fifty years ourselves, we get how tough this stuff is to crack.

Solar Panels as Universal Waste

California and Hawaii already regulate solar panels as universal waste, a special category of waste under the RCRA regulations created to make the management of certain waste materials easier for industry.

US EPA is working on a Federal RCRA rulemaking to add solar panels to the list of Universal Waste in 40 CFR Part 273. US EPA is scheduled to propose a rule that will provide a “clear, practical system for handling discarded solar panels.”

The Agency’s goals for the rule are to:

• Ease regulatory burdens on generators of solar panel waste
• Promote the collection and recycling of solar panels
• Encourage the development of municipal and commercial programs to reduce the quantity of these wastes going to municipal solid waste management.

US EPA stated that the proposed rule, planned for June 2025, will include universal waste standards for lithium batteries.

New Jersey, North Carolina, and Washington have all taken actions that affect solar panel waste.

Find your state’s hazardous waste program regulations.

Assign the Right Hazardous Waste Code

Before, we mentioned lead and cadmium levels as reasons a solar panel might be a hazardous waste. Both of those metals exhibit toxicity, one of the four hazardous waste characteristics. Sign up for Lion News to see the importance of assigning the right hazardous waste code with this cheat sheet: Hazardous Waste Codes (D, F, K, P, U).

RCRA Hazardous Waste Training Options

In-person training options:

• Find a public workshop in a city near you.
• Schedule a private workshop at your site.

Online training options:

• Find a public webinar that fits your schedule.
• Schedule a private webinar for your team.
• Take our self-paced online course.

Tags: EPA, hazardous waste management, RCRA, solar panels