Solar recycling program recognised
City of Mitcham’s Solar Recycling Program has been recognised as winner of the Stewardship and Sustainability Award in the Smart Energy Excellence Awards 2026.
Mitcham was chosen from 250 nominations across nine categories in the national awards presented in Sydney last month.
A first for South Australian Local Governments, the program allows the community to recycle old or damaged solar panels and inverters, reducing waste and supporting a circular economy.
Before its launch in 2025, there was no practical way for residents or installers to recycle end-of-life solar systems.
The program has recycled more than 700 panels and inverters, diverting approximately 14 tonnes of waste from landfill. With a 90 per cent material recovery rate, valuable resources such as aluminium, glass, silicon, and copper are reintroduced into the supply chain. The remaining 10 per cent becomes ‘fine metal dust’, used in research and development for future recycling technologies.
Investigations into options for expanding the program are underway.