While a solar panel may not be 100% recyclable, there are plenty of materials in a solar panel that can be recycled, including glass, aluminum, copper wire, plastic, silicon, and metal.  It is expensive and difficult to recycle solar panels. As a result, only about 10% of solar panels are recycled in the United States.  Unfortunately, many solar panels end up in landfills, despite the fact that they contain toxic waste that could cause environmental pollution by infecting the ground and nearby water supply.