NJDEP issues permit for solar panel recycling for first time

Environment

On December 3, 2024

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has issued the first solar panel recycling permit to Commercial Solar Panel Recycling in Phillipsburg’s Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ).

“As a national leader in renewable energy, New Jersey has a responsibility to ensure the environmentally sustainable development of infrastructure that will help us reduce climate pollutants,” said NJDEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “This research and development authorization is the first step in ensuring New Jersey has the appropriate protocols in place to sustainably process end-of-life solar panels.”

The RD&D permit, Certificate of Authority to Operate (CAO), a research, development and demonstration project to manage non-hazardous waste solar panels, issued by the NJDEP Bureau of Recycling & Hazardous Waste, Division of Sustainable Waste Management, will enable Commercial Solar Panel -Recycling to process used solar modules and recover valuable materials such as glass, aluminum and silicon. By recycling these materials, the company helps reduce waste, conserve resources and promote a more circular economy.

“NJDEP’s RD&D certification for solar panel recycling represents a critical step in advancing long-term solutions outlined in my newly introduced New Jersey Senate Bill 3399, which requires end-of-life recycling of solar and photovoltaic systems and structures. This milestone and CSPR’s initiative to become the first solar panel recycling facility in New Jersey is an exciting start to a greener, more sustainable future,” said New Jersey State Senator Bob Smith, a key supporter of renewable energy initiatives in New Jersey .

“This approval represents a key leadership moment in New Jersey’s sustainability journey, and we are proud to lead the way in developing a viable, scalable solution for solar panel recycling,” said Glenn Laga, co-founder and CEO of Commercial Solar panel recycling. “By recovering and reintroducing valuable materials into the manufacturing process, we are not only reducing landfill waste in New Jersey, but also creating new jobs in an emerging industry poised to handle the growing volume of discarded solar panels.”

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