Ohio's New Recycling Hub
Comstock Metals Establishes Industrial Solar Panel Recycling Hub in Cambridge, Ohio, Creating 20 Jobs
Key Points
The Cambridge site will comprise a 21,570-square-foot facility with an adjacent laydown yard, signaling a focused footprint to support its national logistics and recycling hub.
Comstock previously indicated its Nevada facility could recycle up to 3 million solar panels annually, highlighting substantial scale ambitions beyond the Cambridge project.
In addition to aluminum, silver and glass, the Nevada facility recovers copper, illustrating a broader material recovery profile tied to its zero-landfill approach.
Cambridge’s location is expected to reduce long-distance transportation costs, which can account for 30 to 50% of total recycling expenses, strengthening the company’s national logistics network.
JobsOhio president and CEO J.P. Nauseef cited Cambridge’s centralized location and strong logistics network as key advantages for Comstock Metals’ expansion into solar recycling markets nationwide.
Comstock Metals LLC has chosen Cambridge, Ohio, as the site of its first Midwest industrial-scale solar panel recycling facility, bringing 20 full-time jobs to Guernsey County. The 21,570-square-foot plant on Southgate Parkway will serve as a national logistics hub for recovering silver, aluminum, copper, and glass from old solar panels, according to Globe Newswire.
The project, a subsidiary operation of Comstock Inc. (NYSE: LODE), is backed by a $75,000 JobsOhio grant and builds on the company's Nevada facility, which is permitted to process up to 3 million panels — or 100,000 tons — per year. Comstock's goal is to reach 300,000 tons of national capacity across three facilities by 2028, StreetInsider reported.
Cambridge Cuts the Cost of Hauling Heavy Panels
Shipping decommissioned solar panels is expensive. Transportation alone accounts for 30% to 50% of total recycling costs, according to Investing.com. By placing a hub in central Ohio, Comstock aims to serve the Midwest and East Coast without the cost of hauling heavy panels thousands of miles to its Nevada site.
Dr. Fortunato Villamagna, president of Comstock Metals, said the location makes financial sense. "Establishing a facility in central Ohio allows us to directly support the Midwest region's growing end-of-life panel disposal needs while keeping costs low," he said. The facility will also have an adjacent laydown yard for staging incoming panel shipments.
Zero-Landfill Process Turns Old Panels Into Raw Materials
Comstock uses a proprietary thermal and mechanical process. It first breaks down the adhesives and plastics that trap heavy metals inside panels. The result is clean aluminum flakes, glass beads, silver, and copper that can go straight into industrial supply chains — with nothing sent to a landfill.
The Nevada facility received its final air quality and processing permits from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection in January 2026, clearing the way for full-scale operations. Comstock CEO Corrado De Gasperis called Cambridge "an integral part of our growing national capacity," adding that it provides "real sustainability — and peace of mind — to our customers," Investing.com reported.
Ohio Jobs and Grant Signal State's Green-Tech Push
JobsOhio president J.P. Nauseef said Cambridge was chosen for good reason. "With its centralized location and strong logistics network, Cambridge is well positioned to support Comstock Metals' continued expansion," he said, according to StreetInsider. OhioSE facilitated the deal, with its president Matt Abbott saying the investment "continues to prove the positive momentum taking place in eastern and southeastern Ohio."
The Cambridge-Guernsey Community Improvement Corporation also played a role in landing the project, which fills underused industrial space in the region. The $75,000 JobsOhio grant is classified as an inclusion grant, YourOhioNews reported, aimed at spurring job creation in communities still recovering from losses in traditional manufacturing.
Solar Waste 'Tsunami' Creates Both Opportunity and Risk
The timing is not accidental. Global solar panel waste could hit 685,000 tonnes by 2030 and top 1.1 million tonnes by 2035, according to projections cited by the THRIVE Project. Historically, more than 90% of old panels end up in landfills because recycling was too expensive. Comstock is betting that its hub model can change that math.
But some environmental researchers caution that the model faces real hurdles. Without Extended Producer Responsibility laws — rules that require manufacturers to fund recycling — facilities may struggle to secure a steady supply of panels to process. Ohio has no such mandate yet. The true test, analysts say, will be whether recovered silver and glass meet the purity standards needed for new solar panel production, according to Investing.com.
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