How to Dispose of Solar Panels (The Right Way)
Solar panels were built to last 25 to 30 years. The first large wave of commercial installations from the early 2000s is hitting end of life right now. Residential systems installed during the 2010s solar boom aren't far behind. What happens to the panels when they come down matters — both for the environment and for the contractors and system owners responsible for decommissioning them.
The short answer: solar panels cannot go in the trash, and in a growing number of states, they cannot go in a landfill at all.
Why Solar Panels Can't Be Landfilled
Solar panels contain small amounts of lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals used in cell manufacturing. When panels break down in a landfill, these materials can leach into soil and groundwater. The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) — a standard EPA test — is used to determine whether a panel's breakdown products exceed regulatory thresholds for hazardous materials.
Panels that fail TCLP testing must be managed as RCRA hazardous waste. Panels that pass can be managed under streamlined rules in states that have adopted a Universal Waste designation. Either way, they need to go somewhere specific — not your dumpster.
What the Law Currently Requires
Solar panel disposal regulations vary by state. Here's where things stand:
New Jersey enacted a statewide landfill ban in January 2026 under S3399. Installers and system owners are responsible for ensuring panels reach a DEP-approved recycling facility and filing a Certificate of Recycling. Learn more about NJ requirements →
California has classified solar panels as Universal Waste since January 2021. The handler — meaning the installer or contractor — is responsible for tracking shipments and retaining records for three years. Penalties run up to $70,000 per day per violation. Learn more about California requirements →
New York launched its Solar Panel Collection Act in July 2025. Unlike California, New York defaults panels to hazardous waste classification, which means stricter manifest and transporter requirements apply unless TCLP testing proves otherwise. Learn more about New York requirements →
Washington has an EPR law (RCW 70A.510) with manufacturer stewardship plans due in 2030. Contractors aren't directly penalized today, but documenting chain of custody now is the right call. Learn more about Washington requirements →
For a full comparison of state requirements, see our solar panel recycling regulations guide.
The Disposal Process, Step by Step
Whether you're a contractor removing a residential system or managing a large commercial decommission, the process follows the same basic structure:
1. Identify the panel type and manufacturer. Different panel technologies (monocrystalline, polycrystalline, thin-film) have different material compositions and different recycling pathways. Thin-film panels often contain more regulated materials and require more careful handling.
2. Check your state's classification. Is your state a Universal Waste state, a hazardous waste state, or somewhere in between? This determines what paperwork you need before panels leave the job site.
3. Select a certified recycler. R2v3 and e-Stewards are the two main recycler certification standards. Both require certified facilities to document downstream material flows and prohibit export of hazardous materials to developing countries. Avoid recyclers that can't produce certification documentation.
4. Document the chain of custody. Who removed the panels. When. Who transported them. Where they went. That sequence of records is your proof of compliant disposal. In NJ, it's the Certificate of Recycling. In CA, it's shipment records retained for three years. In NY, it may include a hazardous waste manifest.
5. Retain your records. State requirements vary, but three to seven years is the practical standard. If a regulator asks you to prove compliant disposal on a job you completed four years ago, your records need to be there.
What Disposal Actually Costs
Solar panel recycling costs have dropped significantly as recycling capacity has expanded. Current market rates for certified recycling typically run between $15 and $30 per panel, depending on volume, panel type, and geography. Transportation is often the larger cost variable — especially for residential jobs where panels can't be consolidated.
Some manufacturers and utilities operate take-back programs that cover recycling costs. Washington's EPR law will require manufacturers to offer free take-back when their programs launch. California's framework already requires destination facilities to accept panels under the Universal Waste program.
For contractors, recycling cost is increasingly a line item in decommissioning bids — not an afterthought. Building it into your estimate from the start avoids the margin hit later.
The Documentation Problem
Most compliance failures in solar disposal don't happen because contractors chose to dump panels illegally. They happen because documentation was never built into the workflow. A crew removes panels, loads them on a truck, the recycler takes them — and nobody has a record that ties the job to the destination.
That gap is what regulators are closing. NJ's Certificate of Recycling requirement and NY's hazardous waste manifest requirements both exist to create a paper trail that inspectors can follow. Contractors who build that documentation habit now — regardless of whether their state currently mandates it — are the ones who won't be scrambling when the next state passes its law.
Sunpliance was built specifically for this problem. Every job produces a complete chain-of-custody record automatically — from panel capture at removal through transport to recycler confirmation. The Certificate of Recycling generates at job close. Records are stored for seven years.
If you're a solar contractor or system owner trying to get your disposal process compliant, request a demo and we'll walk you through how a job documents itself.