Member for Ballina Tamara Smith MP has welcomed the establishment of a new renewable resource recovery operation in the Northern Rivers, aimed at keeping used solar panels out of landfill and recovering valuable materials for reuse and recycling.
ReSolve Global has established a 2,000-square-metre holding and sorting facility at Tyagarah, where used solar panels and other renewable-energy equipment are collected, recorded, assessed and sorted.
Founded by Northern Rivers locals Ben Pietzsch and Anthony Salera, ReSolve has already collected more than 1,000 solar panels and is working with local industry to develop pathways for panels to be reused where appropriate or responsibly recycled and their materials recovered.
Solar panel waste is an emerging challenge as Australia’s uptake of rooftop solar continues to grow and existing systems are replaced or upgraded.
The initiative comes at a particularly timely moment, with the NSW Government recently announcing consultation on Australia’s first mandatory solar panel product stewardship scheme, aimed at ensuring end-of-life panels are recovered, reused and recycled rather than sent to landfill. NSW Government
Ms Smith said it was exciting to see a Northern Rivers business developing a practical response to that challenge.
As stated by Tamara Smith MP, Member for Ballina:
“The transition to renewable energy cannot just be about installing more solar panels. We also need to think seriously about what happens to that infrastructure at the end of its useful life.”
“The NSW Government’s recent announcement of a proposed mandatory product stewardship scheme for solar panels shows just how pressing this issue has become. It is particularly encouraging to see a Northern Rivers business already developing the local infrastructure and expertise that will be needed as we move towards a genuinely circular renewable-energy economy.”
“What Ben and Anthony are building here in the Northern Rivers is exactly the kind of practical, local response we need as more solar systems are replaced and upgraded.”
“I’m particularly excited by the emphasis on reuse. If a panel still has useful life in it, we should be looking at how we keep that resource working rather than simply treating it as waste.”
“The Northern Rivers has long been a place where people are prepared to think differently about sustainability and resource use. It is fantastic to see that innovation happening locally and creating the potential for new skills, jobs and circular-economy opportunities in our region.”
“I congratulate Ben and Anthony on getting ReSolve to this point and I look forward to seeing how the project develops.”
ReSolve Global Director Ben Pietzsch said the business was established after seeing first-hand the growing number of solar panels being removed from homes and businesses without clear recovery pathways.
As stated by Ben Pietzsch, Director of ReSolve:
“We created ReSolve because we could see the waste challenge growing in front of us.”
“Solar has delivered enormous benefits for Australian homes and businesses, but we also need to take responsibility for the equipment coming off rooftops.”
“Our goal is to build a transparent and practical system that prioritises reuse wherever appropriate and ensures the remaining materials are responsibly recovered.”
“We believe the Northern Rivers is the right place to build this model. The region has a pioneering environmental focus, a growing renewable-energy sector and an opportunity to lead Australia in how these materials are managed.”
ReSolve’s longer-term vision is to expand its resource-recovery model beyond solar panels to other renewable-energy infrastructure, including batteries, inverters and wind turbine components.
The business is seeking to develop partnerships with solar installers, councils, waste facilities, government agencies and recycling organisations.
