Holiday Lights Recycling Opportunities

If you're ready for new holiday lights for your house or tree, or have some that don't work anymore, there's a great new program in the metro area that you should take advantage of. The Recycling Association of Minnesota has created a project called "Recycle Your Holidays". You can bring any working or non-working holiday lights to a drop-off box to be recycled for free! (You can also bring in electrical and phone cords-no adaptors.) There are many drop-off locations; visit www.recycleminnesota.org for the locations near you.

Holiday Decorations

When you're ready to get rid of those other holiday decorations, think about reusing and recycling them rather than throwing them in the trash. We often decide to get rid of holiday decorations like ornaments and knick-knacks even when they aren't worn out. If that's the case, consider giving them to a friend or family member who would enjoy them, or donate them to a non-profit or second-hand store. You can share holiday cheer and keep them out of landfills!

Wrapping Paper

Generally, wrapping paper is not considered recyclable. Explore other materials to use instead of store-bought wrapping paper, like newspaper, comics, maps, magazine or book pages. If you are going to buy new, look for wrapping paper that's labeled as recyclable (will generally contain less ink and no foil) or buy wrapping paper that is made from recycled content paper. Remember, "recycled" and "recyclable" mean different things--if you can, find paper that is both recycled and recyclable! For more information, visit Rethink Recycling's paper page.