Lean and Sustainable Framework for Solar Panel Recycling in Finland: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The popularity of solar power is increasing rapidly in Finland, although a solar panel has a useful life of about 25–30 years before it becomes waste. The recycling of solar panels is also applicable since Finland has set an objective of carbon neutrality by 2035. While the previous studies pre dominantly concentrated on the recycling technology and the circular economy concepts, oper ational challenges like long distances, waiting time, repeated handling, and bad sorting have been addressed less. These are problems that can get more complicated in Finland due to the long travel distances, cold winter weather, and the low population density. The overall research question of this thesis is, "What is the potential for using lean management principles in solar panel recycling systems in Finland for the sake of operational efficiency and sustainability? Following the screening and selection process, 49 studies were included in the final review. The matic synthesis analysis was used to analyse the findings, and they were summarised under the five core themes. The thesis introduces Finnish cases of value stream mapping (VSM) for the redesign of collection routes between Oulu and Helsinki, 6S for workplace organisation and sorting in Tampere, and kaizen for continuous small improvements in Kuopio's collection hub. The study also suggests the use of measurable parameters like lead time, sorting accuracy, material recovery rate, and cost per ton for measuring the operational