Extended producer responsibility for energy transition technologies

Solar panels

Solar panels currently fall under the same EPR system as all electric and electronic equipment. This system is unfortunately not tailored to the long lifetime of solar panels and their material composition. Solar panels mostly end up being downcycled as filling material in the construction sector and their CRMs are not recovered. Separate EPR targets for solar panels are thus needed. These include a separate collection target that takes into consideration the long lifetime of solar panels and promotes their repair and reuse, and material recovery targets for high-purity silicon and other CRMs. To further incentivise high-value applications of secondary materials, EPR targets would be preferably coupled with minimum requirements for recycled content in new solar panels.

Wind turbines

There is currently no EPR scheme for wind turbines in the Netherlands. While wind turbines are mainly composed of steel, which can easily be recycled with other bulk metals, the composite materials used in wind turbine blades pose an important technical challenge for recycling. New legislation introducing an EPR for wind turbines and minimum recycled content requirements for new blades, preferably at the EU level, would promote a more circular future for this technology.

Electric vehicle batteries

Recent EU legislation for batteries shows the way forward on strengthening EPR and combining it with instruments safeguarding the supply of CRMs and improving the monitoring of product flows. The recent EU Batteries Regulation gradually increases the stringency of recycling targets for lithium-based batteries, and introduces material recovery targets for lithium, cobalt, nickel, lead and copper. In addition, it introduces mandatory minimum levels of recycled content for four of these materials (except copper) in new batteries. Furthermore, it establishes information-based measures, including a digital product passport, that enables monitoring products throughout their lifetime, and facilitates dismantling and recycling at the end of their lifespan.