Comparative evaluation of different recycling modes for decommissioned photovoltaic products based on stackelberg...

China is the photovoltaic (PV) leader worldwide and will be confronted with significant challenges stemming from the scrap tide of PV products. Constructing an effective recycling system is essential for retired PV product management. Using the Stackelberg game theory, this study establishes and compares three recycling modes including manufacturer recycling, third-party recycling, and producer responsibility organization (PRO) recycling for decommissioned PV products. Afterward, the effects of module processing costs, echelon utilization rates, and collection subsidies on the transfer prices, collection quantities, supply chain profits, and carbon emissions of the various recycling modes are simulated and analyzed. The results reveal that: (1) The manufacturer recycling realizes optimal supply chain profits; (2) Compared to the PRO recycling mode, the third-party recycling experiences superior performances when retired module processing costs are lower than a specific threshold; (3) Uplifting echelon utilization rates and collection subsidies while reducing module processing costs could supplement the overall economic and environmental benefits within the PV closed-loop supply chain (CLSC); (4) Environmental performances of the different recycling modes are associated with the carbon emission reduction efficiency. Accordingly, valuable insights are provided for manufacturers, recyclers, and governments to develop a sustainable retired PV product recycling system.