Sustainable management of end of life crystalline silicon solar panels in Australia: Advancing circular economy practices

• This study explored different EoL c-Si module waste management scenarios through LCA. • The Chemical delamination of PV modules appeared to offer comparatively higher environmental benefits, but the toxicity of chemicals must be thoroughly assessed. • Main contributors to impacts are: transport, incineration of the polymeric layers and the utilization of chemicals during material recovery. • Economic benefits of PV recycling are discussed. The worldwide adaptation of Photovoltaic (PV) technology as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, has experienced exponential growth in recent years. However, the lack of effective waste management policies has hindered efficient PV panel disposal and recycling practices. In the absence of effective policies, the worldwide End-of-Life (EoL) PV module accumulation is predicted to reach a critical stage in the early 2030s. This study examines the environmental impacts of different EoL management practices using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), based on a comprehensive database generated from both literature and industrial data. Five different EoL scenarios were considered for 1000 kg of Crystalline Silicon (c-Si) PV modules with a focus on Australia as a case study, while considering the energy recovery options and emphasizing the economic benefits. From a comprehensive LCA study, it is found that upcycling options reduce the environmental impacts significantly compared to downcycling, while chemical treatment emerges as a preferred option, demonstrating a reduced environmental burden. Nevertheless, the utilization of toxic chemicals during chemical treatment-based PV recycling needs to be reconsidered. Additionally, the usage of chemicals during the metal recovery process of PV module recycling caused the highest environmental burden, necessitating the importance of moving to greener treatment practices. This research study will enable the identification of optimum EoL c-Si module recycling options, contributing to sustainable waste management.