Management of Solar Photovoltaic Panels under the Extended Producer Responsibility Legislation

Abstract

The Korean government announced the Renewable Energy 3020 Implementation Plan to increase the share of renewable energy in the power sector to 20% by 2030. Accordingly, considerable renewable energy wastes, including those from solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbines, are expected to increase in the coming years. To recycle the end-of-life solar PV panel waste in an environmentally safe manner and to establish a waste recycling system in the future, the Korean government has proposed to amend the Enforcement Decree to the Act on the Resource Circulation of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles by classifying solar PV panels as an extended producer responsibility (EPR) item, thus making solar panel manufacturers and importers responsible for their recycling. However, implementation of the proposed amendment has been postponed to 2021. This study addresses the important issues regarding the proposed amendment, and explores associated problems and improvements through a comparative analysis of the EPR in Korea and the EU.