Photovoltaic recycling: a win-win situation for everyone

Thanks to a strong industry solution, SENS eRecycling and Swissolar ensure that disused photovoltaic modules in Switzerland are almost completely returned and disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

In the end, everyone benefits: manufacturers, importers, homeowners and the environment. The figures also show this: The return rate of photovoltaic modules in Switzerland, for example, is almost 100%.

Sens eRecycling

Out of service - but not out of the cycle

Since 2013 Swissolar, the Swiss umbrella association for solar energy, SENS eRecycling has been working together in Switzerland to ensure the environmentally friendly disposal of old photovoltaics modules. The successful system is based on the concept of shared responsibility: when purchasing a photovoltaic system, homeowners are already making a contribution to their future disposal by paying the advance recycling contribution (ARC). In return, manufacturers and importers undertake to take back the old modules. SENS eRecycling relieves all ARC partners who are affiliated to the industry solution of this obligation and takes care of the disposal of photovoltaic modules free of charge as soon as they have reached the end of their service life. Everyone ultimately benefits: from manufacturers and importers to homeowners and the environment. This is reflected in the numbers: Almost 100 per cent of photovoltaic modules in Switzerland are taken back.

The photovoltaics recycling system

While smaller quantities can be returned to the nearest SENS collection point, SENS eRecycling collects larger quantities of old photovoltaics modules directly from its partners’ construction sites and brings them to a specialised recycling company.

Sens eRecycling

A fund for the future

The amount of the advance recycling contribution (ARC) for photovoltaics systems is based on the weight of the installed system. The weight not only includes the photovoltaics modules, but also any other components such as sockets, cables or power inverters, the latter of which converts direct current from the photovoltaics modules into alternating current. The price currently stands at CHF 40 per tonne or CHF 0.04 per kilogram. In contrast, the taking back, transportation and recycling of the material currently costs SENS eRecycling around CHF 770 per tonne. The financing of the system therefore only works as the current volumes of installed photovoltaics systems continue to far outweigh the volume of old material and therefore allow the fund to continue to accumulate it from year to year.

The recycling of photovoltaics modules today

The amount of photovoltaics modules recycled in Switzerland is currently still too small to make it worthwhile for Swiss disposal companies to concentrate on this service. That is why the photovoltaics modules are recycled at a facility just over the Swiss border on behalf of KWB Plan Real GmbH, with whom SENS eRecycling cooperates in this area. The German company checks the modules for any hazardous substances before disassembling them into their components.

Sens eRecycling

Photovoltaics modules are not special waste

Crystalline silicon modules account for the majority of the photovoltaics modules used in Switzerland. They are free of any hazardous substances and comprise 90% glass, a metal frame, a plastic film and silicon wafers. Glass and silicon wafers are produced from sand. 

80% of the raw materials is reusable

Generally speaking, the silicon wafers used for the photovoltaics modules are processed together with the glass to produce glass wool that is used as an insulating material during construction. The metals contained in the photovoltaics modules, including iron, aluminium and copper, are also almost fully extracted during the recycling process and prepared on a 1:1 basis for reuse in smelting plants.  The plastic film, which is responsible for keeping the photovoltaics modules together, is subsequently incinerated. The electricity produced during this process is fed into the energy grid or used to generate heat for cement production.

Photovoltaic recycling in Switzerland

Positive energy balance

Even though the production of solar power – from the manufacturing of photovoltaics modules to their transportation and ultimate recycling – is not completely climate neutral, solar power is primarily impressive thanks to its positive energy balance: after just 15 months, a new system has produced as much energy as was needed for its production and operation to date.

Sens eRecycling

A second life for photovoltaic modules

In the Swiss PV Circle project, SENS eRecycling, Swissolar and the Bern University of Applied Sciences have developed business models for the reuse of photovoltaic modules in Switzerland.

Factsheets (in German)

Photovoltaik-Module entsorgen: Wer übernimmt die Kosten?

PDF (340.7kB)

Das Recyclingsystem für Photovoltaik-Module: So einfach ist geteilte Verantwortung

PDF (155.1kB)

Photovoltaik: geringer Energieaufwand, positive Ökobilanz

PDF (233.8kB)

Media releases

Swiss-PV-Circle-Medienmitteilung-Projektabschluss_EN

16.07.2025 – PDF (631.5kB)

Projektstart Swiss PV Circle

31.10.2023 – PDF (357.2kB)

Photovoltaik-Recycling – Ein starkes Netz von Partnern

11.08.2025 – PDF (166.2kB)

Photovoltaik: Fortschritte im Recycling und Reuse

11.08.2025 – PDF (112.6kB)

Agri-Photovoltaik bietet grosses Potenzial

21.10.2022 – PDF (289.7kB)

Recycling von Photovoltaik

10.11.2022 – PDF (158.2kB)

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SENS eRecycling
Obstgartenstrasse 28
8006 Zürich 

+41 43 255 20 00 
info@eRecycling.ch

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