Japanese retailer Edion opens dedicated facility for solar panel recycling

Edion Corporation has established an integrated system to manage the entire lifecycle of solar panels, covering sales, installation, collection, and recycling within its own group. The company’s subsidiary, E.R. Japan Co., Ltd., has opened a new PV Recycling Plant at its headquarters in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, to support the new system.

The new facility employs advanced mechanical processes to achieve high recycling rates. Unlike traditional methods that use blades to peel panels, the plant uses a PV Recycling Hammer. This technology applies physical impact to crush and separate materials, allowing the facility to process panels even if they are deformed or damaged by natural disasters.

The recovery process is also enhanced with the use of a digital colour sorter. This equipment uses optical sensors to identify glass colour and automatically remove impurities. This process results in high-purity glass cullet, which accounts for approximately 60% of a panel’s total weight. The recovered glass is supplied to partners for use in building materials, such as glass wool insulation, and civil engineering projects.

Edion is the first major Japanese electronics retailer to establish an in-house recycling plant dedicated to solar panels. The company intends to use its retail and logistics network to serve as a collection point for end-of-life panels. This service is available for panels installed by Edion as well as those from other providers, which helps to address consumer uncertainty regarding proper disposal methods.

The establishment of this model addresses the looming mass disposal of solar panels in Japan. Solar panels are expected to reach the end of their lifespans starting in the mid-2030s. Projections suggest that annual waste will reach approximately 500,000 tonnes. Currently, a lack of advanced recycling infrastructure forces much of this waste into landfills, and will become a serious environmental burden.