Pixie Lee

Seventeen per cent. That's how many old solar panels get recycled, says the Productivity Commission. The rest, ay, no.

One in three Aussie homes has rooftop solar. We throw out about 60,000 tonnes of panels a year, heading for 90,000 by 2030. The science academy, ATSE, wants a $10 to $20 fee on each new panel to fund a national recycling scheme.

Fair's fair. ANU's Andrew Blakers says panel waste is about a fifth of one per cent of our solid waste. And ninety per cent of a panel is glass.

I love my panels. But Canberra flagged a scheme back in 2017, and the pilot due mid-year hasn't started. Lovely gadget. And then what, when it's tired?

Source: ABC News, 2026-08-17

About Pixie Lee

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