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Waste management of solar cells in South Asia: an environmental concern of the emerging market

  • Sustainable Waste Management & Circular Economy
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Abstract

The share of solar energy in the energy mix has become a major concern, and the global effort is to increase its contribution. Photovoltaic technology is an environment-friendly way of electricity production compared to fossil fuels. Currently, third generation of solar cells with a maximum average conversion efficiency of 20% has been achieved. Asia is an emerging market for photovoltaic technology, and it has recorded the highest installation capacity for 2018 (280 MW), 2030 (1860 MW), and 2050 (4837 MW). Meanwhile, Asia is estimated to be the highest producer of PV waste by 2040, with 5,580,000 metric tons of waste volume. Solid waste management is already a big environmental issue in South Asian countries, and untested landfilling of solar cells can further increase the burden. This review emphasizes the end-of-life scenario of solar cells in developing South Asian countries. Solar cell waste is hazardous e-waste that can lead to environmental and health impacts if not managed properly. It consists of metals with market value, which can be waste or gold, depending on its management. The study finds that recycling is the economically and environmentally effective waste management option for solar cells in South Asia. This paper reviews the deficiencies in the existing solar cell waste management framework in South Asian countries. Moreover, practical implications are presented for designing an effective waste management plan for solar cells in South Asian countries. Strong legislation, sufficient recycling infrastructure, and high stakeholders’ interests are required to resolve this environmental concern.

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Author notes

  1. Rubab Nazar and Rabia Qayyum contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sustainable Development Study Centre, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan

    Rubab Nazar, Rabia Qayyum, Mujtaba Baqar & Abdul-Sattar Nizami

  2. MOE Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China

    Mujtaba Baqar

  3. Punjab Bioenergy Institute, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan

    Muhammad Rizwan Tabassum

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  1. Rubab Nazar
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Contributions

Rubab Nazar: data curation, formal Analysis, writing—original draft, conceptualization, and investigation. Rabia Qayyum: data curation, formal Analysis, and writing—original draft. Mujtaba Baqar: validation, visualization, review and editing resources, and conceptualization. Abdul-Sattar Nizami: supervision, writing—review and editing, and conceptualization.

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Correspondence to Mujtaba Baqar.

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Highlights

• Environmental constraints of solar cells are identified.

• Techno-economic analysis of various waste management technologies is presented.

• Comparative analysis of solar cell waste management is done in South Asia.

• High waste generation and poor management of solar cells are witnessed in South Asia.

• Study recommended recycling as an appropriate option for solar cell waste management.

Rubab Nazar and Rabia Qayyum are co-first author.

The original online version of this article was revised: The affiliations are missing in the original published proof.

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Nazar, R., Qayyum, R., Baqar, M. et al. Waste management of solar cells in South Asia: an environmental concern of the emerging market. Environ Sci Pollut Res 31, 17760–17777 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29094-4

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