Comstock Metals Awarded the First R2v3/RIOS Certifications For Zero-Waste Solar Panel Recycling in North America
VIRGINIA CITY, Nev., May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Comstock Inc. (NYSE:LODE) announced today that its subsidiary, Comstock Metals LLC ("Comstock Metals"), a pioneer in sustainable, zero-landfill solar panel recycling is the first solar panel recycling company in North America to be certified to the R2v3/RIOS Responsible Recycling Standard, and specifically to Appendix G that authenticates a zero-waste recycling process that safely repurposes each recycled material into new commercial applications. Comstock Metals has demonstrated panel processing with proprietary thermal methods, producing 100% commodity-ready products. All parts of the panel, including glass, aluminum, and fines, are fully recycled.
SERI is an accredited third-party auditor certifying recycling facilities and their downstream vendors for responsible recycling of electronic products. The R2v3 Responsible Recycling Standard and Appendix G certifies Comstock Metals' primary recycling facility and photovoltaic (PV) module recycling processes, validating our entire operation is conducted with the highest level of safety and environmental stewardship. As part of the certification process, Comstock Metals was audited through each of its downstream vendors to ensure strict compliance to the same safety, environmental, and recycling standards the R2 certification requires for accreditation. The Comstock Metals' facility has now operated for over one year.
"The SERI certification is an outstanding achievement for the entire system and by our extended team, including suppliers and customers. Everyone worked relentlessly since our initial commissioning in January of 2024 to ensure that the entire supply chain can rest assured that our promise of no waste, no landfills, and the elimination of liability from contaminants downstream of material recycling and recovery has been truly solved," stated Dr. Fortunato Villamagna, President of Comstock Metals. "Our proprietary clean and efficient thermal recycling process coupled with our diligent quality control of every aspect of our processing services delivers repeatedly predictable and effective results. Our upstream and downstream customers depend on this reliability and frankly, certainty in the responsible elimination of liability."
Comstock Metals has now received independent certification that at each step in the panel procurement and recycling process, including transportation, handling, receiving, storage, processing, and downstream recycled materials reuse, Comstock Metals met or exceeded the environmental and safety standards requisite for consistent performance, reliability and predictability of our demonstrated operational and recycling expertise. This certification comes as Comstock Metals aggressively pursues expansion of their industry leading recycling services, that best ensures all stakeholders in this domestic, critical mineral and renewable energy value chain, will uphold their commitment to environmental stewardship.
"Our systems were innovatively designed by Fortunato and the team for this very purpose; efficient, clean, fast, and effective elimination of environmental liabilities and reuse of all of the generated materials. Not 50 percent, or 80 percent or even up to 95 percent. Quality for us is defined as reliable, predictable, certifiable 100% zero landfill solution," stated Corrado De Gasperis, Executive Chairman and CEO of Comstock Inc. "We differentiate on these sustainable and reliable capabilities. We could not be prouder of the team, and we are extremely well positioned for rapid scaling and growth."
About SERI
SERI is a global non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States with a mission to champion and drive the sustainable use, reuse, and recycling of electronics globally. SERI has numerous programs working to protect the planet and enrich lives by championing sustainable actions throughout the entire electronics lifecycle, including the R2 Standard for responsible electronics reuse and recycling, the eSummit, the SERI Champions Program, and IEMN, among others. Learn more at https://sustainableelectronics.org/.
About Comstock Metals
Comstock Metals is a leading, Nevada-based, zero-landfill recycling solution that specializes in the environmentally responsible recycling of solar panels and related renewable energy infrastructure and equipment. Comstock's unique thermal delaminating processes, ongoing material innovations, and sustainable practices differentiates its recycling leadership and strengthens the supply chain of domestically manufactured electrification products. www.comstockmetals.com
About Comstock Inc.
Comstock Inc. (NYSE:LODE) innovates and commercializes technologies that are deployable across entire industries to contribute to energy abundance by efficiently extracting and converting under-utilized natural resources, such as waste and other forms of woody biomass into renewable fuels, and end-of-life electronics into recovered electrification metals. To learn more, please visit www.comstock.inc.
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Some of those risks and uncertainties include the risk factors set forth in our filings with the SEC and the following: adverse effects of climate changes or natural disasters; adverse effects of global or regional pandemic disease spread or other crises; global economic and capital market uncertainties; the speculative nature of gold or mineral exploration, and lithium, nickel and cobalt recycling, including risks of diminishing quantities or grades of qualified resources; operational or technical difficulties in connection with exploration, metal recycling, processing or mining activities; costs, hazards and uncertainties associated with precious and other metal based activities, including environmentally friendly and economically enhancing clean mining and processing technologies, precious metal exploration, resource development, economic feasibility assessment and cash generating mineral production; costs, hazards and uncertainties associated with metal recycling, processing or mining activities; contests over our title to properties; potential dilution to our stockholders from our stock issuances, recapitalization and balance sheet restructuring activities; potential inability to comply with applicable government regulations or law; adoption of or changes in legislation or regulations adversely affecting our businesses; permitting constraints or delays; challenges to, or potential inability to, achieve the benefits of business opportunities that may be presented to, or pursued by, us, including those involving battery technology and efficacy, quantum computing and generative artificial intelligence supported advanced materials development, development of cellulosic technology in bio-fuels and related material production; commercialization of cellulosic technology in bio-fuels and generative artificial intelligence development services; ability to successfully identify, finance, complete and integrate acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, business combinations, asset sales, and investments that we may be party to in the future; changes in the United States or other monetary or fiscal policies or regulations; interruptions in our production capabilities due to capital constraints; equipment failures; fluctuation of prices for gold or certain other commodities (such as silver, zinc, lithium, nickel, cobalt, cyanide, water, diesel, gasoline and alternative fuels and electricity); changes in generally accepted accounting principles; adverse effects of war, mass shooting, terrorism and geopolitical events; potential inability to implement our business strategies; potential inability to grow revenues; potential inability to attract and retain key personnel; interruptions in delivery of critical supplies, equipment and raw materials due to credit or other limitations imposed by vendors; assertion of claims, lawsuits and proceedings against us; potential inability to satisfy debt and lease obligations; potential inability to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting; potential inability or failure to timely file periodic reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission; potential inability to list our securities on any securities exchange or market or maintain the listing of our securities; and work stoppages or other labor difficulties. 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