Australia’s House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water has announced an inquiry into solar panel reuse and recycling following a referral from Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt.
The House of Representatives Standing Committee is seeking written submissions providing recommendations in response to the inquiry terms of reference by March 27, 2026.
Related article: Australia launches national solar panel recycling pilot
Each contribution will be processed by the secretariat and considered by the committee to determine whether it will be accepted as a submission and authorised for publication.
The inquiry comes despite the Australian Government having just announced a $24.7 million national solar panel recycling pilot program.
The program was announced following a report from the Productivity Commission into circularity in Australia’s economy, which specifically recommended the establishment of a solar panel recycling scheme.
The report found there was scope to boost Australia’s circular economy through better coordination, regulatory design and innovation—especially for high-value, high-risk waste streams like solar panels.
Related article: Organisations call for mandatory solar recycling scheme
Australia leads the world in rooftop solar uptake, with more than one in three Australian homes now having solar panels installed.
Only 17% of solar panels are currently recycled, and increasing this could unlock up to $7.3 billion in benefits through reduced waste and reuse of materials.
