Sustainable photovoltaic recycling to mitigate environmental pollution under climate and resource constraints

Abstract

This article studies how to enhance the deployment efficiency of photovoltaics (PVs) and reduce the environmental pollution process of end-of-life products through recycling. We consider realistic constraints such as recycling opportunities, resource and mineral supplies, waste treatment capabilities, and climate goals for PV development. To do this, we model the entire life cycle of PV modules and take into account the waste and greenhouse gases generated during their production. We used the established model to estimate China's future photovoltaic deployment strategy and determine the optimal trajectory for related resource utilization. Our analysis results show that given the long-term PV development target of 2000 GW toward 2070, it is predicted that the total number of scrapped photovoltaics will reach 900 GW in 2060–2070. By then, the copper, zinc, and aluminum metals that can be recycled can each reach about 2 million tonnes. In addition, we also found that recycling can greatly reduce the environmental pollution caused by end-of-life photovoltaics, and analyzed the negative impact of different recycling strategies on the environment. Finally, we put forward several suggestions for reducing environmental pollution through the resource recycling process.