How to Properly Recycle Holiday Lights

Holiday Lights
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Every year holiday lights can shine a little less bright, or not at all. The Naperville Park District will be collecting any of those burnt-out or unwanted holiday lights from now until February 1st, 2021.

Holiday Lights Out

Residents can drop off their lights in the specially marked bins at different locations throughout the city. But light collecting is slightly different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and not all of the park district’s usual locations are open or in normal operation and able to participate in the recycling program.

Locations that do have the specially marked light drop-off bins are the Fort Hill Activity Center and the golf shops at the Springbrook and Naperbrook Golf Courses. Lights dropped in the bins will be taken to the City of Naperville’s Electronics Recycling Center, which accepts holiday lights year round between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Naperville Park District will accept mini-lights, C-7 lights, C-9 lights, rope lights, LED lights and extension cords. All colors and lengths will be accepted, but they ask that you take the lights out of their bag when you leave them in the bucket.

Recycling With Reason

With most holiday lights being made of plastic or glass, it’s important to recycle the materials instead of throwing them away and leaving them in landfills. The plastic and glass on holiday lights can be easily recycled. The copper in many lights is a non-renewable resource, and since it’s already refined, repurposing it saves time, money, and keeps it from harming the environment in a landfill.

Naperville News 17’s Ryan Skryd reports.

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