07/03/2026
According to the Silver Institute, about 6000 metric tons of silver, or 14 % of global silver consumption, were used for PV panel production in 2025 alone.
This share is expected to increase to 20 % by 2030. In 2025, only 28 % of the global silver supply came from primary resources, while the remaining 72 % was produced as a by-product from existing copper, gold, lead, and zinc projects, indicating a rather rigid supply chain for the near future.
Therefore, the recycling of solar cells should primarily focus on recovering metallic silver while also considering the recycling of auxiliary components such as glass, aluminum, copper, silicon, and lead. It is estimated that one ton of solar cell electronic waste can produce about 0.6 kg of silver, accounting for approximately 0.08 % of the overall module weight.