Clean energy tech needs to be designed for recycling, experts say
Photo by Patrick Pleul/picture alliance via Getty Images Companies like Apple and Samsung aren't the only ones making high-tech devices that are hard to take apart and recycle. So are the manufacturers of critical clean energy technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicle (EV) batteries - and unlike the consumer tech industry, which is slowly starting to reverse some of its unsustainable design practices, there isn't much being done about it.
Batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines are all essential tools for combating climate change. However, these technologies take considerable energy and resources to make, and the best way to ensure we can keep making more of them sustainably is to recycle those resources at end of life. But today, clean energy recycling is limited...