Along with the expansion of solar energy, the amount of waste generated during the production and use of solar panels also increases. Sunly joins EES-Ringlus to contribute to the development of solar panel waste management practices and to promote the principles of a circular economy in Estonia. EES-Ringlus was created to fulfill the obligations of producer responsibility for companies involved in the production and sale of electrical and electronic equipment and batteries.
The partnership with EES-Ringlus allows Sunly to cooperate with other market participants to ensure better waste management of solar panels. “We believe that together we can create better solutions that help reduce the environmental impact of solar panels and contribute to a more sustainable future.” “We help Sunly implement practices that help reduce waste, increase recycling, and thus promote the use of renewable energy,” says Kristy Valgma, the Board Member of EES-Ringlus.
Sunly wants a holistic approach to waste management, and an important part of the strategy is to be part of the circular economy. “We hope that more and more companies will join EES-Ringlus together with us, with whom it will be possible to positively influence the development of the waste management system for solar panels in Estonia,” comments Sunly ESG manager Kristiina Esop.
Sunly is already working on initiatives such as the development of a recycling program that allows customers to dispose of old solar panels, and not only in Estonia. For example, Alseva, a Polish solar park construction company owned by Sunly, signed a memorandum of understanding with Biosystem Elektrorecykling in 2022 to begin cooperation on the disposal of used solar panels. The operational profiles, technical capabilities, know-how, and planned cooperation with research institutions of the two companies will help them obtain and use the most efficient solar panel recycling technology.