Posted on 23 December 2025 by Sue Bin Park

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Do solar panels generate more waste than fossil fuels?

Waste from discarded solar panels is dwarfed by the waste from coal, oil, and gas. In addition, solar panel recycling capacity continues to expand and improve.

A 2023 study estimated that from 2016 – 2050, if power systems do not decarbonize, coal ash would be 300 – 800 times heavier than waste from discarded solar panels, and oily sludge from fossil fuels would be 2 – 5 times heavier.

Currently only about 10 – 15% of panels are recycled in the U.S., but governments and companies are funding additional research and new facilities. Existing plants can already recover around 90 – 95% of a panel’s mass, including glass, aluminum, and steel, and up to 95 – 97% of key semiconductor materials such as cadmium and tellurium.

As solar grows, recycling will cut waste and emissions further, while the bigger waste problem comes from not replacing fossil fuels.

Go to full rebuttal on Skeptical Science or to the fact brief on Gigafact

This fact brief is responsive to quotes such as this one.

Sources

U.S. Department of Energy Photovoltaic Toxicity and Waste Concerns Are Overblown, Slowing Decarbonization--NREL Researchers Are Setting the Record Straight

The Washington Post Scientists found a solution to recycle solar panels in your kitchen

Solar Energy Solar photovoltaic recycling strategies

Nature Energy Research and development priorities for silicon photovoltaic module recycling to support a circular economy

Energy Strategy Reviews An overview of solar photovoltaic panels’ end-of-life material recycling

Columbia Law School Sabin Center for Climate Change Law Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles

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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer "yes/no" answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact — a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all of our published fact briefs here.