India may have to deal with millions of tons of renewable energy waste

[Jack]

THE CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION COULD END UP CREATING MILLIONS OF TONS OF WASTE IN INDIA.

NOW THERE ARE EFFORTS UNDERWAY WITHIN THE COUNTRY TO REPURPOSE SOME OF THAT TRASH.

RECENTLY, INDIA HAS BEEN PRODUCING 100 KILOTONS OF WASTE FROM SOLAR ENERGY PRODUCTS ALONE EVERY YEAR-

THAT’S A WEIGHT EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT ONE THOUSAND BLUE WHALES, THE HEAVIEST ANIMAL ON THE PLANET.

IT’S A PROBLEM THAT’S ONLY EXPECTED TO GROW IN THE COMING YEARS.

OVER THE NEXT DECADE EVEN MORE SOLAR PANELS WILL NEED TO BE RETIRED-

WHICH BY SOME ESTIMATES WILL MORE THAN TRIPLE THE CURRENT ANNUAL TRASH OUTPUT IN INDIA FROM THIS GREEN POWER SOURCE.

AND ITS NOT JUST SOLAR PANELS-

DECOMMISSIONED WIND TURBINES, USED ELECTRIC VEHICLES, AND OTHER TYPES OF OLDER RENEWABLE ENERGY ARE ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THE WASTE PROBLEM.

BUT ALL THAT GARBAGE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE GIVEN A SECOND LIFE.

EXPERTS BELIEVE NEARLY 90 PERCENT OF DISCARDED CLEAN ENERGY MATERIALS IN INDIA CAN BE RECYCLED AND USED TO MAKE MORE RENEWABLES.

THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT HAS INCLUDED SOLAR, WIND AND EV COMPONENTS IN ITS ELECTRONIC WASTE REGULATIONS-

CALLING FOR PRODUCERS TO RECYCLE THESE COMPONENTS.

HOWEVER, THOSE WITHIN THE COUNTRY’S RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR SAYS THERE’S LITTLE CLARITY ABOUT HOW EXACTLY THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO DO THIS.

INDUSTRY OFFICIALS ARE ASKING THE GOVERNMENT FOR A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY ON CLEAN ENERGY RECYCLING EFFORTS.

WITHOUT THIS, THEY FEAR INDIA COULD BECOME ONE OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST PRODUCERS OF RENEWABLE WASTE.

TO GET MORE UPDATES ABOUT HOW THE RENEWABLE ENERGY TRANSITION IS GOING WORLDWIDE-

DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP AND SIGN UP FOR ALERTS FROM ME- JACK AYLMER.