We are committed to collaboration and partnership with industry, community, and policy leaders to ensure an ever more sustainable and systemically closed-loop solar recycling supply chain.
While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, individual states (California, Texas, Nevada, Washington among them), and the solar industry in the U.S. are currently working to develop and align solar panel recycling standards, we have pushed ourselves above and beyond.
We are the first solar panel recycling company in North America to earn the R2v3 Appendices A, E, and G, and RIOS 2016 Certifications (Sustainable Electronics Recycling International).
The R2 (Responsible Recyclers) Certification to Appendix A, E, and G certifies that all Comstock Metals recycled material is productively and safely reused for industrial manufacturing.
"Solar panel recycling is a win-win-win – good for consumers, the economy, and our planet. We congratulate Comstock Metals on this achievement – one of our Preferred Recycling Partners – and we look forward to continuing this partnership for the benefit of the entire solar energy industry."
- Evelyn Butler, Vice President of Technical Services at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
Every downstream vendor undergoes regular audits to ensure safe handling, zero landfill disposal, and sustainable reuse. No material is ever sent to landfill, and all received panels are recycled.
Sustainable Electronics Reuse & Recycling R2v3 Appendices A, E, and G:
Appendix A: Downstream Recycling Chain
All downstream vendors for our recovered materials (aluminum flakes, glass pearls, and metal tailings) undergo full R2v3 compliance auditing to ensure all materials are safely and productively reused into new industrial materials.
Appendix E: Materials Recovery
Ensures strict environmental, health, and safety protocols for our material recovery facility – including risk assessments and robust controls.
Documentation certifies Comstock sends zero-material to landfill and recovers all material from end-of-life solar panels.
Appendix G: Photovoltaic Modules
Comstock’s certification explicitly states we do not resell, repair, or broker solar panels; we recycle all types of panels and never landfill material.
RIOS: 2016 (Recycling Industry Operating Standard) = Commercialization and Dismantling of Solar Panels, Finish goods and Inventory Storage
(ISO coming soon.)
Comstock Metals is approved by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control and listed among the select Universal Waste recyclers authorized to treat PV modules.
Through its Hanford, California location, Comstock Metals provides California solar owners and developers with a compliant, in-state solution for zero-landfill end-of-life panel recycling. The site strengthens our southwestern network and provides a centralized hub to support the largest solar market in the U.S.
As decommissioning, storm damage, and new construction panel breakage volumes continue to increase, responsible recycling infrastructure is essential. Comstock Metals helps ensure valuable materials are recovered and returned to the supply chain, not landfilled.
