PV CYCLE: Signing of the Environmental Agreement and the Participant Contract

Founded by photovoltaic (PV) companies together with EPIA and BSW in July 2007, the PV CYCLE association has set-up a voluntary take-back and recycling programme for end-of-life modules and takes responsibility for PV modules throughout their entire value chain. Starting the year with 52 members, the association has doubled the number of its members and represents today over 85 percent of the European PV market. It has now developed a network of more than 108 registered collection points, 58 of them certified and fully operational, expanding across Europe. Recently, PV CYCLE’s members agreed on a dedicated system to finance the take-back and recycling of end-of-life modules and which will be applicable for current and future members of the association.

The association provides a solution to all different PV technologies through a large network of collection points (CP). Permanent containers are located at the premises of retailers, wholesalers and electrical contractors. Completely free of charge, these are open to anyone who would like to dispose of end-of-life modules.

EPIA Members who are also members of the PV CYCLE have set it as their objective to provide a distinctive service of sustainable end-of-life product treatment for customers. Now the moment has come to crystallize the efforts of the past two years through a successful operational system. Hereby, all members are encouraged to sign the Participant Contract and the Environmental Agreement.

PV CYCLE will continue to extend and intensify its collection network throughout Europe in order to implement a tailor made, efficient take-back and recycling scheme whilst seeking the crucial support from its members.