Regarding ESG reporting, I wouldn’t be surprised if business leaders branch into measuring their downstream emissions with the same scrutiny they’ve applied to upstream supply chains. We’re seeing this take place in the IT hardware industry, where Fortune 500s are opting for repair/reuse of IT infrastructure over recycling when they determine asset lifespans can be extended another 5-10 years at a lower emissions output and lower cost than near-term recycling. Like many business decisions, the question to recycle isn’t a matter of “if” but “when”, which gives me hope that we’re on track in our efforts to grow the Green Market.

I believe it is solar PV company First Solar that has had a cradle to cradle recycling program in operation since 2003. First Solar seems to have recycling facilities right next to large manufacturing facilities in Ohio, Germany and Malaysia. Using the sun to power a recycling plant to recover and use the old panels for new panel manufacturing feedstocks is the correct path to the circular economies needed to allow cheap solar PV for all consumers. I recall an article published here a couple of years ago that First Solar is planning using large solar PV arrays on the roofs of their manufacturing facilities by 2028 to help power the manufacturing process. Solar PV used to recycle old panels into feedstocks for new solar PV panel manufacturing has to have a much lower carbon footprint than most other solar cell and panel manufacturers World wide.