5 Ways to Dispose of Used Christmas Lights
Give your old holiday lights a new life by recycling, repurposing, or donating them
Sometimes spring cleaning takes you into the depths of your storage room—and the mountains of old holiday decor. You’re certain to find more than a few tangled balls of Christmas lights in there. Before you toss the whole pile in the garbage to be sent to a landfill, first consider how else they can be used. By getting rid of them the right way, you can reduce your environmental impact and put those old strands to good use. Clear out your holiday clutter with these five ways to dispose of Christmas lights.
1. Bring Them to Your Local Recycling Center
Plastic, copper, glass, and other materials used in string lights can take years to break down in landfills. So, try recycling your old holiday lights instead. Check with your local waste management service to learn more about their recycling process. Some facilities only accept Christmas light drop-offs or curbside pickups on specific days, while other cities may take them during the post-holiday period when you dispose of your Christmas tree. Some facilities may not accept them at all—but they may be able to direct you to another organization that will recycle your holiday lights.
If recycling in your area really isn’t an option, consider working with a local junk removal service to properly dispose of your old holiday decor. The cost to rent a dumpster or hire a trash hauling service may be worthwhile if you’re taking on a large cleaning project.
2. Donate Working Strands
Sometimes, your holiday decor just needs a fresh update. If your old string lights still work, donate them to your local Goodwill or other thrift store. In some areas, Goodwill also accepts nonfunctional lights for recycling. Check the thrift store’s website to determine which items they accept and the condition they need to be in.
3. Drop Them Off at a Hardware Store
Many popular home improvement stores allow customers to dispose of light bulbs and holiday lights at their retail locations. They may even offer coupons or other incentives for those who bring in their lights (especially during the holiday season). Call your local store ahead of time to see if they accept drop-offs and find out where to bring them.
4. Repurpose Old Christmas Lights
Your old string lights may not work as well as they once did, but you can still get some use from them. Consider repurposing your holiday lights into new festive decor. Here are a few Christmas craft ideas to spur your creativity:
Transform individual vintage light bulbs into one-of-a-kind Christmas tree ornaments using paint, glitter, ribbons, and other craft supplies.
Wrap working string lights around a faux greenery wreath or garland for an instant refresh.
Place semi-functional strands that have a few broken bulbs inside a mason jar or glass vase to create a light-up centerpiece.
5. Use a Mail-In Recycling Program
If you’re unable to dispose of your Christmas lights locally, consider shipping them out to be recycled instead. There are a few online retailers, like Christmas Light Source and Holiday LEDs, that offer recycling programs. With these programs, people mail in their old Christmas lights in exchange for discounts on new sets.
Christmas Light Source
With Christmas Light Source, you can save money on new lights and do some good in the process. After recycling the old lights, the company uses the proceeds to purchase books, games, and toys to donate to charities like Toys for Tots. When you ship in your broken lights, you’ll receive a promo code for 10% off your next order of Christmas lights. Plus, the recycling program is active all year long.
Holiday LEDs
Wisconsin-based Holiday LED also offers free mail-in recycling for Christmas lights. Due to local recycling regulations, the company only accepts string lights; other items like rope lights, greenery, and loose or broken bulbs will be thrown out. After shipping out your package and completing the online form, they’ll email you a coupon for 15% off your next order. Holiday LEDs’ recycling program is open year-round for mail-in recycling and local drop-offs.