According to a report by Newswitch1, three companies based in Fukushima Prefecture—Takaryo Corporation (headquartered in Fukushima), Toshima Glass Co. (headquartered in Tokyo, with a branch in Fukushima), and Paramount Glass MFG. Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Fukushima)—have launched an initiative to recycle waste glass from decommissioned solar panels. This glass, which accounts for approximately 60% of a panel’s weight, will be repurposed into insulation material.
Takaryo, a company specializing in intermediate waste processing, begins by disassembling discarded solar panels from power plants into their individual components. The recovered waste glass undergoes a purification process to remove impurities before being supplied to Toshima Glass, a specialist in glass raw materials. Toshima Glass then blends the refined waste glass with raw glass materials. Finally, Paramount Glass, a manufacturer of glass wool insulation, processes the mixture into insulation products, conducts quality verification, and ships the final product.
Takaryo plans to supply Toshima Glass with approximately one ton of refined waste glass per month. Meanwhile, Paramount Glass will analyze the composition of the waste glass and collect data while integrating recycled material into its manufacturing processes. The companies will assess the impact on production equipment, determine the necessary purity levels, and evaluate the additional waste glass quantities required for sustainable production.
Fukushima Prefecture has been actively expanding its deployment of renewable energy, including solar power. As part of this initiative, the prefecture has launched a program to promote the reuse and recycling of photovoltaic (PV) panels (Japanese: PVパネルリユース・リサイクル推進モデル事業2). Takaryo is one of four industrial waste intermediate treatment companies certified by Fukushima Prefecture.
References
- Newswitch, “急増見込まれる廃棄量抑制へ…太陽光パネルガラス、断熱材に加工.” Accessed: Feb. 28, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://newswitch.jp/p/44823 ↩︎
- Fukushima Prefecture, “PVパネルリユース・リサイクル推進モデル事業について【令和6年度福島県太陽光パネルリサイクル推進補助金交付申請の受付は終了しました。】.” Accessed: Feb. 28, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.pref.fukushima.lg.jp/sec/32021f/pv-reuse-recycle.html ↩︎
