Europe’s first solar panel recycling plant was opened in France by Veolia, a water and waste company. The company has contracted to recycle 1,300 tons of crystalline solar panels in 2018, virtually all of the panels that will reach their 25-year end of life in France. It is estimated that recovered materials, including glass, aluminum, silicon and plastic, could be worth $450 million by 2030 and $15 billion by 2050. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) also estimates that, by 2050, global PV waste streams will come close to matching the tonnage of new installations. Reuters