Image courtesy of LG EAC
Learn how you can recycle nonworking lights with a local collection.
It’s bound to happen almost every year. Even though you put those lights away neatly last year, and they all worked just fine then, it is almost inevitable that you’ll find a burnt-out strand here or there. Assuming you’ve gotten them untangled, don’t be alarmed if a few of your Christmas lights don’t seem to light this holiday season.
But before you go tossing them in the garbage bin, the Lower Gwynedd Township Environmental Advisory Council would like to offer a better option. And its bins are even color-coded for the holidays. Now through Jan. 31, 2025, the EAC is collecting and recycling old holiday lights.
Those living in and around Lower Gwynedd Township can visit Ingersoll Park. There, you should see two designated collection bins, which are bright red and bright green. The cans are located in the parking lot of the park. All are welcome to place lights here for recycling.
According to Everyday Recycler, Christmas lights are made up of many materials that do not biodegrade.
“[Christmas lights] can take hundreds of years to break down in a landfill,” said the Everyday Recycler’s website. “Commonly, string lights are made of plastic, metal, and glass. The type of plastic used is generally polyvinyl chloride (PVC), referred to as Plastic Number 3. This plastic cannot be recycled in your curbside recycling bin.”
In addition to the long-lasting plastics, the light strings often also contain metals, which can be endlessly reused.
“Christmas lights also often contain copper wiring,” said the post. “Copper is a valuable metal and can be recycled over and over again.”
The site also noted that some light strings contain toxic materials, such as small amounts of mercury or lead, which if left to landfills can leach into the soil.
For more on the Lower Gwynedd EAC, visit the website here.
