Alberta is banning solar panels from landfills and introducing a $14 environmental fee on each new panel as it launches what the province says is North America’s first solar panel recycling program.Beginning October 1, solar panels reaching the end of their useful lives will be directed toward reuse and recycling instead of being dumped in Alberta landfills.The province says Alberta will become the first jurisdiction in North America to operate such a recycling program and the first Canadian province to prohibit solar panels from landfill disposal.Alberta has the second-largest installed solar capacity in Canada, with the government expecting a wave of aging panels to require disposal in coming decades.More than 95% of the solar panels currently installed in the province are expected to reach the end of their useful lives by 2045. The government estimates that could generate as much as 72,700 tonnes of material.“Alberta has never been afraid to lead. We will not wait until mountains of dead solar panels are piling up in our landfills before acting,” Environment and Protected Areas Minister Grant Hunter said.“We are putting the system in place now to recover valuable materials, attract private investment and build a new recycling industry here in Alberta.”Solar panels contain materials including glass, aluminum, silicon, silver and copper that can potentially be recovered and used in new products rather than buried.The province says the recycling program is intended to encourage private spending in collection and processing capacity while creating a domestic recycling industry.An environmental fee of $14 will be charged on each new solar panel supplied in Alberta beginning October 1..The government said the fee for a typical residential installation of 20 panels would total about $240, representing less than 1.5% of the overall installation cost.The fee will apply only to panels supplied after the program begins. Owners of panels already installed will not face a retroactive charge.Money raised will be used to collect, transport and recycle both existing and newly supplied panels when they reach the end of their lives.“Responsible solar energy growth means considering environmental responsibility throughout its lifecycle,” Affordability and Utilities Minister RJ Sigurdson said.“By planning ahead to ensure expired panels are properly collected and materials are reused where possible, we’re protecting taxpayers from future cleanup costs and keeping power affordable and sustainable for generations to come.”Most solar panels have an expected lifespan of approximately 25 years.Alberta Recycling Management Authority CEO Ed Gugenheimer said recycling panels is the next step as the province's renewable energy industry expands.“As Alberta’s renewable energy sector grows, recycling solar panels is the logical next step in building a stronger circular economy: maximizing resource use, reducing waste, and delivering long-term value for Albertans,” Gugenheimer said.The province and Alberta Recycling Management Authority will work with industry to expand reuse and recycling capacity as the volume of expired panels increases.Alberta expanded its electronics recycling regulation in 2024 to cover solar panels, wind turbine components and electric vehicle batteries.
