Every form of energy has its pluses and minuses, and, as a society, we do not always recognize this fact. The emissions of fossil fuels have been widely recognized. However, for renewable energy, everyone focuses on their reduced emissions and not the issues surrounding the mining of their component parts or end-of-life disposal.
The EPA has begun to examine these issues. Challenges ranging from consumer confusion to reduced international markets, as well as outdated recycling infrastructure that has not kept pace with modern material streams, has meant that, for many years, the recycling rate in our country has languished.
Despite these known challenges and the lack of interest from past administrations in addressing them, the EPA was criticized earlier this year for our focus on litter and recycling, described as a “retrograde vision” of environmentalism. But the fact is, recycling is a critical piece of our future, not only for consumer commodities such as paper and plastic but also for the ever-expanding renewable energy sector.
Under the Trump administration’s leadership, the EPA has brought together stakeholders from across the recycling sector to identify the most significant challenges facing the U.S. recycling system. Without a strategy for their end-of-life management, so-called green technologies such as solar panels, electric vehicle batteries, and windmills will ultimately place the same unintended burdens on our planet and economy as traditional commodities.
The United States faces similar challenges with new kinds and volumes of waste from renewable energy systems. The so-called “zero emissions” movement has not come full circle in managing the materials used to generate and store renewable energy. To reap the full benefits, we must have a system in place that acknowledges the trade-offs of using these materials and how we plan to mitigate environmental costs. Stated more simply, reducing air and greenhouse gas emissions at the expense of clean land and water shifts the environmental burden, curtailing the environmental gains of these otherwise valuable energy sources.
One familiar example is the rising trend among homeowners of installing photovoltaic solar modules, more commonly known as solar panels, to harness renewable energy, often without a clear-cut plan for the panels’ end-of-life disposal. In 2030, cumulative end-of-life PV waste in the U.S. is projected to be between 170,000 and 1 million tons. That number will increase sevenfold by 2050. Under current federal law, homeowners are not subject to hazardous waste disposal requirements, and few municipalities have infrastructure, guidelines, or regulations in place to deal with PV waste.
Because toxic metals in PV modules can leach into groundwater, local governments are looking for ways to regulate their disposal, which could burden homeowners with unanticipated expenses, absent manufacturer takeback and recycling programs.
Alongside the increase in solar cells, more electric vehicles on the road means an increase in used lithium-ion batteries. Today, the lead-acid batteries used in conventional automobiles have a very high recycling rate — 99.3% as of 2017. The challenge before us is to replicate that success for used lithium-ion batteries. We are seeing innovation in the recovery of rare earth metals needed to manufacture EV batteries. Recycling old smartphones and other personal electronics has proven to be an excellent source of nickel, cobalt, and lithium. There are also pilot programs to reuse batteries no longer suitable for EVs as power sources for less demanding applications, but this is a short-term solution at best. While many automakers are working toward long-term solutions, significant breakthroughs are needed in consumer education, market development, and infrastructure if we are going to stay ahead of the problem.
On a more industrial scale, retired windmills present another challenge for recycling and waste management infrastructure. Their size makes them logistically difficult to move. Secondhand windmills have been sold to Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, and while this may benefit countries seeking lower-cost windmills, it does not address end-of-life management when the equipment ultimately fails.
This month, we commemorate the EPA’s 50th anniversary and the 40th anniversary of the Superfund program, acknowledging America’s history of environmental disasters while celebrating how far we have come. Our air quality is the best it has been in recorded history, and renewable energy plays an important role in that success. However, to mitigate future effects on our land and groundwater and prevent wasting scarce and valuable resources, we must also recognize the inherent environmental trade-offs that renewables present. With proper planning and design for reuse, recycling, and material management, renewable energy systems will help us achieve a cleaner and more sustainable environment for all.
Andrew Wheeler is administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
