National Parliamentary Inquiry into Solar Panel Reuse and Recycling
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water has scheduled a public hearing for Monday 3 August 2026 as part of its national inquiry into solar panel reuse and recycling. The inquiry was referred to the committee by the Minister for the Environment and Water, Murray Watt, and is examining how Australia will manage the growing volume of end-of-life photovoltaic (PV) modules coming off roofs, farms and utility-scale solar installations over the next decade.
This matters directly to contaminated land consultants, waste management specialists, renewable energy developers, local councils and their legal advisers. The inquiry is looking squarely at issues that determine how PV waste is classified, transported and disposed of, and whether Australia will introduce a mandatory national product stewardship scheme similar to those already operating for tyres, batteries and e-waste. Any move in that direction changes the cost base and compliance obligations for anyone involved in decommissioning solar infrastructure, from a single commercial rooftop array to a 200 hectare solar farm.
The timing reflects a genuine gap between the speed of solar deployment over the past fifteen years and the maturity of end-of-life waste infrastructure. Panels installed during the early rooftop solar boom are now reaching or approaching the end of their typical 20 to 25 year operational life, and utility-scale projects approved a decade ago are starting to plan repowering and decommissioning works. Regulators are responding to a problem that has been building for years rather than one that has just emerged.
Key Waste Classification and Regulatory Challenges Before the Committee
The public hearing on 3 August 2026 will take evidence from a cross-section of industry and technical stakeholders including the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), the Circular PV Alliance, Environmental Solar Recycling Australia, panel manufacturer Tindo Solar, and the Australian Aluminium Council. This mix of witnesses signals the committee is looking at the full lifecycle chain, from local government landfill and kerbside collection responsibilities through to specialist recycling technology and materials recovery, including aluminium framing and critical minerals embedded in cells.
Four issues dominate the committee’s terms of reference. First, the cost differential between specialised PV recycling and low-cost municipal landfill disposal, which currently makes landfill the path of least resistance for many asset owners. Second, the absence of a mandatory national product stewardship scheme for solar panels under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 (Cth), leaving end-of-life management largely voluntary. Third, fragmented state-by-state regulatory frameworks that create inconsistent waste classification and handling requirements depending on where a project is located. Fourth, the technical challenge of recovering valuable critical minerals from decommissioned modules while safely managing heavy metal contaminants, specifically lead and cadmium, that are present in some cell chemistries and solder compounds.
Several federal instruments are relevant to how this inquiry could translate into practice. The Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 already provides the legal mechanism for the Commonwealth to declare a mandatory product stewardship scheme, which is the pathway being discussed for PV modules. The EPBC Act reforms progressing through 2025 and 2026, including updated National Environmental Standards, are expected to sharpen expectations around lifecycle management and circular economy planning within environmental impact assessments for renewable energy projects. The National Waste Policy Action Plan 2024 sets a broader target of diverting hazardous resource streams from landfill, and PV waste sits squarely within that scope.
At state level, waste classification for decommissioned panels currently falls under existing frameworks such as the Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2014 in New South Wales and the Environment Protection Regulations 2021 made under the Environment Protection Act 2017 in Victoria. It is important to be clear that this is a committee inquiry at hearing stage, not a finalised regulatory change. No mandatory scheme has yet been legislated. The hearing is an evidence gathering step that will inform the committee’s eventual report and recommendations to Parliament.
What the Inquiry Means for Australian Waste Classification Practice
Australia currently has no mandatory national product stewardship scheme for solar panels, which means end-of-life management responsibility defaults to whichever state waste framework applies at the point of disposal. This creates real inconsistency for asset owners operating projects across multiple jurisdictions, since a panel classified as general solid waste in one state may require hazardous waste tracking and licensed transport in another depending on local leachate testing thresholds and acceptance criteria at landfill facilities.
Where waste characterisation is required, Australian practice relies on the Australian Standard Leaching Procedure (ASLP) rather than the US Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) that is sometimes referenced in international commentary on PV waste. Practitioners assessing decommissioned panels for lead and cadmium mobility should be applying ASLP methodology consistent with state EPA waste classification guidelines, not defaulting to TCLP thresholds, as the two tests use different extraction fluids and can produce materially different leachate concentration results. This distinction matters for waste classification decisions that determine whether panels can go to a general landfill cell or require a licensed hazardous waste facility.
The EPBC Act reforms taking effect through 2025 and 2026 are likely to increase scrutiny of end-of-life planning at the project approval stage, meaning proponents of new solar developments may need to demonstrate credible decommissioning and recycling arrangements earlier in the assessment process than has been standard practice to date. For consultants, developers and councils, the practical step now is to follow the committee’s evidence and eventual report closely, since any recommendation for a mandatory stewardship scheme would flow through to procurement contracts, decommissioning cost estimates and waste management plans across the sector.
References and related sources
- Primary source: www.aph.gov.au
- melbourne-insider.au
- ashurstperkinscoie.com
- sers.net.au
- novagrouppacific.com.au
- EPBC Act
How iEnvi can help
iEnvi provides specialist consulting services relevant to this topic. Our team includes CEnvP Site Contamination Specialists with experience across contaminated land, groundwater, remediation, ecology, and regulatory compliance.
- iEnvi remediation services
- iEnvi groundwater services
- iEnvi expert services and independent review services
This is an iEnvi Machete news summary. Prepared by iEnvi to summarise the source article for contaminated land, groundwater, remediation, approvals and site risk professionals.
Published: 01 Aug 2026
Need advice on this topic? Speak to an iEnvi expert at info@ienvi.com.au or 1300 043 684, or contact us online.
Need advice on this issue? iEnvi provides practical, senior-led environmental consulting across contaminated land, remediation, ecology and environmental risk.
Team credentials Contaminated land services Remediation services Groundwater services Talk to iEnvi