Nevada Plant Pioneers Zero-Landfill Solar Panel Recycling

VIRGINIA CITY, Nev. – January 07, 2026 – Comstock Metals has secured the final major regulatory approval for what it calls a first-of-its-kind industrial solar panel recycling facility in Silver Springs, Nevada, positioning the state at the forefront of a solution to one of the green energy sector's most pressing environmental challenges.

The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection – Bureau of Air Pollution Control (NDEP-BAPC) issued the crucial Air Quality Permit to the company, a subsidiary of Comstock Inc. (NYSE: LODE). This permit clears the path for the commissioning of a plant designed to process up to 100,000 tons of photovoltaic waste annually with a certified "zero-landfill" process, a significant development in a country where the vast majority of retired panels currently end up buried.

A Tidal Wave of Solar Waste

The rise of solar power has been a cornerstone of the global transition to renewable energy, but it comes with a long-tail problem: what to do with millions of panels at the end of their 25-to-30-year lifespan. Industry experts and environmental agencies have been warning of a "tidal wave" of solar waste for years.

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the world could face as much as 80 million metric tons of decommissioned solar panel waste by 2050. The United States, a leader in solar deployment, is projected to be the second-largest contributor to this waste stream, with an estimated one million tons of panels expected to be decommissioned by 2030 alone.

Currently, the U.S. lacks a robust, nationwide infrastructure for handling this material. An estimated 90% of decommissioned panels in the country are sent to landfills. This not only represents a missed opportunity to recover valuable materials but also poses an environmental risk, as panels can contain small amounts of heavy metals like lead and cadmium that could potentially leach into soil and groundwater. This stands in stark contrast to the European Union, which has established regulatory frameworks that result in recycling rates exceeding 85%.

“This effort keeps critical materials out of landfills and eliminates the need to offshore the problem,” said Dr. Fortunato Villamagna, President of Comstock Metals, in a statement. “We are thankful for our strong regulatory partnerships right here in Nevada and the ongoing community support for protecting our land, water, and public health from these potential heavy-metal contaminations.”

A Technological Fix for a Green Problem

Comstock Metals asserts that its Silver Springs facility will set a new standard for the industry. The plant is designed to process more than 3 million panels per year on a single continuous production line, integrating proprietary technology to recover materials with unprecedented efficiency.

At the heart of its process is a thermal delamination technique. Unlike conventional mechanical shredding methods that can create mixed, contaminated materials difficult to repurpose, Comstock's process uses heat to break down the adhesives and plastic encapsulants that bind the panel's layers together. The company claims this method completely decomposes these components, allowing for the clean separation and recovery of 100% of the panel's valuable materials, including high-purity glass, aluminum, silver, copper, and silicon.

This approach directly addresses a key failure point in existing recycling streams, where contaminated glass or mixed materials often have no end market and are ultimately landfilled or stockpiled. By producing clean, commodity-grade materials, Comstock aims to create a true circular economy for the solar industry, turning potential liabilities for solar farm operators into a steady supply of resources for manufacturers. Competitors in the North American market, such as Solarcycle, have reported extracting up to 95% of a panel's value, but Comstock's "zero-landfill" and "100% material recovery" claims, if proven at scale, would represent a significant leap forward.

Nevada Becomes an Epicenter for Green Industry

The selection of Silver Springs, Nevada, for this flagship facility is highly strategic. The Southwestern U.S., including Nevada, California, and Arizona, is home to some of the nation's oldest and largest solar installations. As these pioneering solar farms reach the end of their operational lives, they create a concentrated and growing supply of panels needing an end-of-life solution.

The receipt of the Air Quality Permit is the culmination of a multi-stage regulatory process that began last spring. It follows a notification of eligibility for a Written Determination Permit from the NDEP’s Bureau of Sustainable Materials Management, which has also passed its public notice period. Together, these permits provide the complete regulatory framework needed to move forward. Equipment for the plant is already arriving on-site, with installation and commissioning scheduled for completion during the first quarter of 2026.

The project highlights a collaborative effort between industry and state regulators to foster green infrastructure. The permitting of a novel industrial process can often be a lengthy and complex undertaking, but the successful approval suggests a supportive environment in Nevada for innovative environmental technologies.

The Business of Turning Waste into Wealth

For parent company Comstock Inc., the move into solar recycling represents a major strategic pivot toward the clean energy supply chain. The company has secured $30 million in funding, which it reports has eliminated its debt and fully financed the construction and commissioning of the Silver Springs plant.

The business model is twofold: Comstock will charge "tipping fees" to accept the waste panels, creating an immediate revenue stream, and will then generate further income from the sale of the recovered commodity materials. The company projects the first facility will generate approximately $55 million in annual revenue and become cash profitable as early as the second quarter of 2026.

This initial plant is envisioned as the first node in a national network. Comstock has announced ambitious plans for rapid expansion, aiming to establish seven recycling facilities across the United States by 2028 to capture what it estimates could be a 30% share of the domestic market.

“We have built both technological and market leadership in this rapidly expanding end-of-life supply chain,” stated Corrado De Gasperis, Executive Chairman and CEO of Comstock. “Our metals team is operationalizing the site and storage authorizations so we can scale our platform and address this growing environmental challenge, especially in an environment where these critical and precious metals are in such strong demand.”

As the first wave of solar panels begins to retire, the successful launch of industrial-scale, high-efficiency recycling operations like the one in Silver Springs will be critical in determining whether the clean energy revolution can fulfill its promise of true, long-term sustainability.