Green Goals Falling Short: 90% of Expired Solar Panels Go to Landfill

Workers at a recycling plant in Odessa, Texas, are crushing used photovoltaic panels to extract valuable metals, including silver and copper. SolarCycle is just one of five firms listed by the Solar Energy Industries Association as capable of providing recycling services for used solar panels, but recycling currently accounts for less than 10% of expired panels, with the rest being sent to landfill.

Experts are calling for an increase in the reuse of valuable materials, which would boost the circular economy, reduce pollution and increase recycling rates, but there is concern that the supply of expired panels may overwhelm the capacity to process them. The area covered by solar panels in the US that will retire by 2030 is estimated to be equivalent to 3,000 football fields.

Startups Saved from Financial Limbo Thanks to Government Intervention

The US government has taken action to protect Silicon Valley Bank customers' funds in a bid to prevent the spread of contagion across the financial system. This is a saving grace for startups and other companies whose SVB funds have been locked up in the failed bank since its seizure by regulators last week.

SVB held around $170 billion of deposits, with the vast majority uninsured by the FDIC. Before the announcement on Sunday, the only certainty for businesses that banked with SVB was that they would have access to $250,000 on Monday, which would barely have lasted one payroll cycle for Series B and later startups.

Many companies had scrambled to secure loans from investors and third parties, while others sought ways to reduce their cash burn, with the knowledge that payroll would be due on Wednesday. The government's rescue plan will fully protect depositors with funds at Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, which was seized by state regulators in New York. The costs associated with protecting customers will be paid with a special assessment on other banks, and taxpayers won't be on the hook.

2023's video marketing playbook: Wistia's top 3 insights you can't afford to ignore

Get ready to have your mind blown, because Wistia has gone and done it again. They've analyzed over 80 million marketing videos and surveyed 1,500 marketers to uncover how video content can help grow businesses. And let me tell you, they've found some seriously useful insights.

If you're looking to get the most bang for your video-marketing buck, LinkedIn and YouTube are the places to be. Wistia's analysis shows that these two platforms are the most effective distribution channels for businesses in 2023. So if you're not already on board the LinkedIn and YouTube train, it's time to hop on.

And if you thought long-form videos were a thing of the past, think again. According to Wistia's analysis, webinars and live events are the fastest-growing successful video segment out there. Looks like people are ready and willing to sit through a two-hour webinar, so get ready to talk the talk and walk the walk.

Last but not least, if you want to turn those viewers into prospects, CTAs and video lead capture are your new best friends. They're like the dynamic duo of the video marketing world. So don't be afraid to ask your viewers to take action and give them a chance to take the next step.

So there you have it, folks. Three insights from Wistia's analysis are sure to take your video marketing game to the next level. Thanks, Wistia, for doing the heavy lifting so we can sit back and enjoy the juicy results.

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