Japan’s Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) have proposed that owners of commercial solar installations planning to dispose of 50 metric tons (MT) or more of panels be required to file an advance disposal plan. The ministries presented the proposal to a study group drafting the implementing rules for a new recycling law.

The Act on Promoting the Recycling of Solar Cell Waste was enacted on May 29 and promulgated on June 5. It must take effect within 18 months, and the government’s working schedule targets around early December 2027.

The law itself leaves key thresholds to cabinet orders and ministerial ordinances. The study group took up panel types, weights and the large-volume threshold at its first meeting on Oct. 30. It will turn to certification and processing standards in mid-November and judgment criteria in early December.

A joint council will then review the proposals from December to March before public consultation. The ministries plan to publish the rules around spring 2027, when recyclers can also begin pre-applying for certification, ahead of the law taking effect.

Under existing law, panels must be handled as waste, but recycling is not mandatory, and the government says landfill has often been chosen. The new law sets three tiers of obligations. Everyone who disposes of panels has a general duty to promote recycling. Commercial disposers, including rooftop owners who sell their power, would receive guidance and advice under government criteria. Commercial disposers above the threshold would have to file disposal plans in advance and could face government recommendations and orders.

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