Off the Trail, But Still Riding: WA’s Solar Recycling Mandate Delay

A reflection on the WA solar takeback delay, the messy path of policy, and why we keep building—even when the trail gets washed out.

This morning’s mountain bike ride reminded me of something gymnasts, circus performers, and off-road racers all know instinctively: you’ve got to look where you want to go, not just where you are.

Look too close and you’ll miss what’s coming.
Look too far, and you’ll catch an edge or a loose rock and find yourself eating gravel.
Or worse—falling off.

Turns out, this is also true for public policy.
And startups. And systems that try to manage things.

Back in 2017, Heather Trim at Zero Waste Washington saw what was coming.

The state was attracting major solar investment, and with it, millions of panels. She helped draft the first solar panel takeback law in the country, requiring manufacturers to fund recycling programs. The goal was to make sure we don’t solve one climate problem by creating another.

It was a bold move—one of the first real efforts to plan ahead for solar panel waste.

But planning too far ahead has its risks.

Fast-forward to 2025. After three delays, this was supposed to be the year the WA mandate finally took effect. Electra, my company, was built around this moment.

We created a system that let anyone register their solar panels at the point of sale, with prepaid fees to ensure panels would get reused or recycled at end-of-life. We even structured it so manufacturers covered half the cost, aligning financial incentives across the supply chain.

It was working.
We had customers.
We had traction.

We had prize money and people calling.

And then?

September.
The Department of Ecology announced it would ask to modify the law to delay the mandate, again. This time, until 2029.

It felt like hitting a rut and going airborne.

I testified before the Environment and Energy Committee. I emailed everyone I could.
I shared our model. I shared our momentum. Heather Trim and I both spoke with urgency and optimism.

But the bill passed. The delay was just signed into law.

I won’t lie. I was gutted.

And yet… maybe now is when the real ride begins.

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Zoom Out. Breathe. Look Ahead.

When I first started Electra, I wanted to build a system that didn’t just exist in 10 or 15 years—I wanted one that would still work.

That’s audacious. Some might say naïve. The economics of solar recycling are still shaky. Landfilling costs $1–$5 per panel. Recycling costs $15–$30.

Without policy or coordination, it’s almost always cheaper to toss them.
Which is exactly what most people will do.

But what if there was a system? What if, when you bought your solar panels, you registered them into a circular economy model? What if your manufacturer paid half the fee up front, and you paid the other half? What if that money was set aside—not to line anyone’s pocket—but to cover transportation, reuse, or recycling at end-of-life?

That’s what Electra is.
It’s a prepaid, escrow-backed, shared responsibility model.
It’s not perfect. But it’s a start.

And it’s built for the long ride.

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The Messy Middle of a Movement

Delays like this can feel like failure. But they’re not. They’re part of the process.

We now have four more years to test, tweak, and get it right. Four years to bring more manufacturers on board. Four years to build trust, prove value, and show that circularity isn’t just a checkbox—it’s a better way to do business.

Eleven other states are now discussing similar legislation.
And WA’s experience, as messy as it is, offers a blueprint.
Not for perfection. But for possibility.

If we only look at what’s directly in front of us—deployment numbers, year-end profits, quarterly reports—we’re going to hit the proverbial wall, or rock, or tree.
Again. And again.

We have to look farther down the trail.

Riding the Ridge Between Vision and Reality

I’m not building Electra because I think we’ll get it all right the first time.
I’m building it because someone has to start carving the path.

Because reuse and recycling aren’t optional anymore.
Because fossil fuels are finite.
Because every panel dumped in a landfill is a missed opportunity.

I’ll admit: there’s irony in trying to build a 10-year solution in a startup landscape where 6-month pivots are the norm. But if we don’t invest in future solutions with today’s dollars, then what are we even doing?

I’ll keep riding.
Some days I’ll fall.
But the view, when you look ahead, is still worth it.

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If you believe solar should be circular—and that the future deserves more than a patch job—consider subscribing, sharing, or just asking your installer:

“What happens to my panels at the end of their life?”

The answer shouldn’t be the landfill.

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