India’s Solar Waste May Hit 11 Mn Tonnes by 2047 as Capacity Expands, Says Report

India is expected to generate about 11mn tonnes of solar waste by 2047, mostly from crystalline-silicon modules, according to two studies published on November 6. Managing this waste would require nearly 300 recycling plants across the country and an investment of around ₹4,200 crore, according to the studies by Delhi-based think tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).

The studies also said that recovering and reusing materials from discarded solar panels could create a ₹3,700-crore market opportunity by 2047.

If this potential is realised, recovering valuable materials such as silicon, copper, aluminium and silver from solar waste could meet 38% of the sector’s manufacturing inputs in 2047 and avoid 37mn tonnes of carbon emissions by replacing virgin resources with recycled ones.

India's solar module recycling market is currently at a very early stage, with only a few commercial recyclers operating.

Rishabh Jain, Fellow, CEEW, stated in the news release, "India's solar revolution can power a new green industrial opportunity.” He suggested that embedding circularity into our clean energy systems, we can recover critical minerals, strengthen supply chains and create green jobs while turning potential waste into lasting value. Building this circular economy is most important for India's resilient and responsible growth."

Commenting on the value of solar recycling, Akanksha Tyagi, Programme Lead, CEEW, told in the news release that solar recycling can be the bridge between India's clean energy and manufacturing ambitions. “Beyond managing waste, it's an opportunity to innovate by designing panels for easier recovery, improving material purity and creating new value chains around critical minerals,” Tyagi added.

The CEEW studies also said that solar recycling in a formal setup remains unviable today, with recyclers facing losses of ₹10,000-12,000 per tonne.

The biggest operational expense is buying back waste modules, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of the total (around ₹600 per panel), followed by processing, collection and disposal costs.

For recycling to become profitable, modules would need to be priced below ₹330 or recyclers supported through EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) certificate trading, tax incentives and R&D investments in efficient recovery of silicon and silver, the studies said.

Challenges in Solar Recycling

Despite the increasing volume of solar waste, recycling remains low. According to a Yale Environment 360 report, only around 10% of solar panels are currently being recycled in both the United States and the European Union.

This low rate persists despite the EU’s regulations mandating solar panel recycling, largely due to the high costs and technical challenges involved. The economics are stacked against the recycling business. Nitin Gupta, CEO and Co-Founder of Attero told Outlook Business that the process of solar waste recycling is not advanced enough to be offered free of charge. In addition to the complexity of dismantling and shipping massive solar sections from remote locations, the total cost of managing solar waste is ₹25,000-30,000 per tonne— enough to deter any business. The comparative cost for plastic waste is ₹4000.