On 1 January 2015, the French government, for the first time ever, accredited an environmental organisation to manage photovoltaic panels. PV Cycle, an association with bases in a number of European countries, now organises the collection and processing of photovoltaic panels in France on behalf of the producers (manufacturers, marketers, etc.).
Photovoltaic panels: newcomers to the WEEE network
End-of-life photovoltaic panels were not initially considered to be Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), so were not subject to the regulations in force.
Following the revision of the European WEEE Directive and its transposition into French law in 2014, an eleventh category of WEEE was created for photovoltaic panels.
On 1 January 2015, the authorities accordingly accredited a specific environmental organisation to be responsible for processing photovoltaic panels, in compliance with the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
PV Cycle was accredited because it met the specifications laid down by the authorities and the requirements of the accreditation consultative committee. It is also representative of photovoltaic panel manufacturers.