Very Large Difference Between Real and Declared Volumes of PV Panel Recycling: Economic Motivation for Environmental Sustainability

Technical recyclability does not ensure that decommissioned photovoltaic (PV) modules enter recycling. A published estimate of approximately 10% global PV waste recycling provides context rather than a new global inventory. In this study, economic incentives for increasing actual PV module recycling are examined. Three treatment routes are compared using published experimental and industrial data: room-temperature delamination of double-glass modules with soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), milling of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) modules with polymer backsheets, and hot-knife separation of the same EVA construction. In a mass-based cost-and-revenue scenario, an assumed gross processing rate of USD 0.65/kg is applied to the 37 kg PDMS and 24 kg EVA reference modules. With stated material credits and a common USD 3.5 aluminum frame credit, the respective NET BALANCES are approximately +USD 6.8, −USD 12.1, and −USD 10.8 per module. The technical basis is the preservation of two intact glass sheets (approximately 30 kg) and a separately recovered silicone fraction (approximately 3.0 kg). After cleaning and verification, suitable recovered sheets may serve as rear glass in compatible new PV modules. Direct glass reuse avoids remelting, whereas nonincinerating PDMS delamination avoids direct encapsulant-combustion emissions. The positive scenario balance suggests that preserving reusable components can strengthen economic incentives for recycling, supporting circular material use and environmental sustainability.