ABSTRACT
A green energy system can only be as green and sustainable as the manner in which wastes are minimized, repurposed, and/or disposed. The United States’ increasing interest in green energy systems will create new kinds and new volumes of waste. Green energy systems such as wind turbines and solar photovoltaic panels and batteries are essential to the United States’ and the rest of the world’s transition from fossil fuel energy to green energy. There are energy demands and by-products associated with the production of green technologies, and these systems also produce materials requiring careful end-of-life management to avoid creating new superfund sites and wasting scarce and valuable resources. The following discussion provides a summary of the challenges (as of 2023) the United States and other countries will face in the recycling and proper disposal of these wastes (see Figure 13.1).
