Initiatives and Case Studies
PV Cycle: Enhancing Global Waste Management
PV Cycle is a non-profit, member-based organization taking a new approach to global waste management. Founded in 2007, PV CYCLE offers members and waste holders the best available techniques in relation to collection, shipment, recycling and treatment of PV panels and other waste flows at an affordable rate.
Partner Initiative / Large company / All WEEE / Recycle
Key Points
- As a global waste management broker, PV CYCLE works with a large partner network consisting of collection, transport, recycling and WEEE specialists.
- PV CYCLE is the world’s first collective take-back and recycling scheme for PV panels.
- To ensure the delivery of high-quality solutions and protection of the environment, PV CYCLE is ISO 9001 quality and ISO 14001 environmental certified.
Summary
The company was originally founded for the PV industry alone, but has since expanded to a broad range of electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, packaging and industrial waste in its portfolio. PV CYCLE offers its services throughout the globe with national representations across Europe in Germany, France, Italy, and Belgium, and also in the United Kingdom, Japan, and the USA. This global representation provides services, such as collective and individual waste management, legal compliance, consultancy, and representation. As an industry-based organization, PV Cycle aims to understand the needs and priorities of its members and deliver best-in-class services for waste management.
PV Cycle is taking many exemplary steps forward in environmental compliance. Partners chosen by PV Cycle within logistics and waste treatment are selected based on their technological and environmental excellence, ensuring that its Members are getting the highest quality services while also reducing their ecological footprint. PV CYCLE regularly audits its partners and their internal procedures to ensure that their environmental commitment and high-quality promise are met. It has undertaken several Research and Development projects in Europe. These include:
- Full Recovery End-of-Life Photovoltaic – This initiative investigates different PV recycling approaches to increase today’s average recycling quote to 100% and reduce the overall energy consumption of a PV module.
- CIRCUSOL – This is an Innovation Action project funded by the Horizon 2020 program of the European Commission. CIRCUSOL aims to unleash the full potential of circular business models, in particular Product-Service Systems (PSS), while simultaneously delivering real environmental, economic, and user benefits. By that, CIRCUSOL aims to establish solar power as a spearhead sector in demonstrating a path driven by service-based businesses towards a circular economy in Europe. This network combines 15 partners across 7 European countries. Join the Circusol network for free through their newsletter here!
PV Cycle offers a centralized registration and declaration platform for a series of waste products in one or multiple EU countries. The organization can then register your company with the relevant national WEEE EPR schemes and periodically report your products placed on the market.
WEEE Ireland is proud to support pan-European partnerships for effective EPR compliance. PV Cycle have worked with WEEE Ireland since 2017 developing sector specific solutions for Producers placing PV panels on the Irish market.
Contact
For more information, please visit https://pvcycle.org/about-pv-cycle or contact info@pvcycle.org.
For queries relating to EPR compliance in the Republic of Ireland, please reach out to the WEEE Ireland team at info@weeeireland.ie.