WHEATON, Ill. – It’s that time of year again. Residents across Wheaton are pulling out their boxes of holiday lights – and finding out which strands are broken. Or, maybe you have switched to environmentally friendly LED lights and no longer want your old incandescent lights. This year, the City of Wheaton is offering residents an eco-friendly way to get rid of lights: recycle them.
The City’s final electronic recycling collection event from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 5, will serve as the kick-off for holiday light recycling at the City’s Public Works Storage Facility. After the Dec. 5 event, you can drop off your holiday lights any time between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Public Works Building, 821 W. Liberty Drive. Look for signs directing you to the holiday light recycling area just inside the gate. The Public Works Department will accept lights for recycling through Feb. 15.
“This is a good program for residents because rather than filling the landfills with lights, they can be recycled,” said Forestry Superintendent Kevin Maloney. The City is working with Elgin Recycling for this program. The recycling company will strip the lights and recycle both the copper and plastic parts. No materials will be shipped overseas.
The Public Works Department will collect any strings of holiday lights, including incandescent and LED lights. There is no limit as to how many lights you can drop off for recycling.
This program is another way the City is helping Turn Wheaton Green, a campaign encouraging residents to make environmentally friendly choices in their everyday lives.
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