The Dutch solar energy industry is increasingly committed to sustainability and environmental protection. An important development in this sector is the increasing awareness and commitment to recycling. From July 1, 2023, a new regulation introducing the visible waste management fee will come into effect, and it has important implications for the solar industry.
As can be read on the website of Stichting OPEN, the visible waste management contribution is a mandatory financial contribution that is applied to the sale of new solar panels and inverters. This contribution is used to finance the recycling process of solar energy products and to ensure that they are processed in a responsible and sustainable manner at the end of their life.
This new regulation is an important step towards a circular economy in the solar industry. It encourages manufacturers, importers and distributors to take responsibility for the products they put on the market. The visible waste management contribution creates an incentive to invest in recycling and waste management infrastructure, allowing more solar panels and inverters to be recycled.
We are a member of the OPEN Foundation
In practice, not much will change for our customers, where the environmental contribution was previously included in the unit price, it is now separately visible on the quotations and invoices.
The environmental contribution is only relevant for companies that install in the Netherlands. These additional costs are also visible to our foreign customers, but a correction is made for invoicing. As a customer abroad you are seen as an importer/producer and you bear the responsibility by joining your local organization, see for example PV Cycle Belgium.
To further strengthen recycling efforts in the solar industry, it is important that all stakeholders work together. Producers, installers, distributors and consumers can play a crucial role by choosing sustainable products, being mindful of discarded solar energy products and participating in recycling initiatives.
With this new regulation and the growing awareness within the solar industry, we are taking an important step towards a more sustainable future.