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Critical Materials

Photovoltaic Circularity: Solar Panel Recycling and End-of-Life Considerations

Fernando Gracia
Rishab Sardana
Office of Industry and Competitiveness Analysis
Regional Focus
China
Europe
United States
Author(s)
Anna Perry, Kelsi Van Veen
Published
October 2024


Abstract

Recent policy initiatives in the United States and beyond have called for decreasing reliance on China for rare earth elements and related downstream products, such as neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) magnets. Among these initiatives, recycling of rare earth elements and NdFeB magnets from electronic waste (e-waste) has emerged as an approach to reduce both import dependence on China and the environmental impacts of mining and refining these products. This paper highlights several methods for recycling NdFeB magnets from e-waste and assesses potential impacts on supply chains and the environment from the commercial adoption of these recycling techniques.


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