Stringing up your holiday decor and discovering that messy tangle of lights is impossible to unravel? Or just plain dead?
If you want to avoid Santa's naughty list, you'll recycle those old Christmas lights instead of tossing them in the trash.
First off, some lights contain mercury, which will leech into the ground if the bulbs are broken. Others may even contain lead — if they have a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) wrap around the wires. Also, if the lights can be recycled, why would you throw them in a landfill, adding to America's waste problem?
Instead, gather your wad of bulbs and take them to a local recycling drop-off.
Northern Kentucky
Covington, Cohen Recycling and Keep Covington Beautiful will be accepting loose, non-bagged lights — traditional and LED — in two locations:
- In a barrel outside of City Hall (20 W. Pike St.) from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday;
- and the lobby of the Center for Great Neighborhoods (321 W. 12th St.) from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
These are open through Feb. 1.
According to Stephanie Bacher, Covington’s Solid Waste & Recycling Supervisor, Americans produce an extra 7 million pounds of waste between Thanksgiving and the start of the new year. “We can and should reduce this excess waste, and we’re working with our partners to help Covington residents do so, at least locally,” she said in a release.
Cohen is also overseeing recycling through Feb. 1 at the:
- Campbell County Administration Building, First Floor Lobby, 1098 Monmouth St., Newport
- Campbell County Clerk’s Office, Upper Level Entrance, 8330 W. Main St., Alexandria
Great Parks of Hamilton County
Great Parks says you can drop off any unwanted or broken lights to Great Parks' visitor's centers until Feb. 2.
There will be marked bins at the following locations:
- Farbach-Werner Nature Preserve, Ellenwood Nature Barn, 3455 Poole Road, Northgate
- Glenwood Gardens, Gatehouse, 10397 Springfield Pike, Woodlawn
- Miami Whitewater Forest, Ranger Station, 9001 Mt. Hope Road, Harrison
- Sharon Woods, Sharon Centre, 11450 Lebanon Road, Sharonville. They'll also be accepting lights for recycling at the Holiday in Lights drive-thru display, via bins in the admission tent, through Jan. 2.
- Winton Woods, Winton Centre, 10245 Winton Road, Winton Woods
- Woodland Mound, Seasongood Nature Center, 8250 Old Kellogg Road, Anderson Township
Butler County
Cohen is also hosting recycling at the following locations in Butler County through Feb. 1:
- Voice of America MetroPark, 7850 VOA Park Drive, West Chester
- Rentschler Forest MetroPark – Reigart Road Area, 5701 Reigart Road, Fairfield
- Forest Run MetroPark – Timberman Ridge Area, 1976 Timberman Road, Hamilton
- Elk Creek MetroPark – Meadow Ridge Area, 5101 Circle Parkway, Middletown
Warren County
Find light recycling in Warren County through Feb. 1 at these locations:
- Warren County Administration Building, 406 Justice Drive, Lebanon
- Armco Park, 1223 OH-741, Lebanon
- Landen Deerfield Park, 2258 US -22, Maineville
- Franklin Township Administration Building, 418 Fairview Drive, Franklin
- Franklin Township Fire Station #19, 3773 Robinson-Vail Road, Franklin
- Deerfield Township Administration Office, 4900 Parkway Drive, Deerfield Township
- Deerfield Township Fire Station #57, 3435 US Route 22 and 3, Deerfield Township
- Mason Community Center, 6050 Mason Montgomery Road, Mason
- Springboro Admin Building, 320 W. Central Ave., Springboro
- Springboro Performing Arts Center (PAC), 115 Wright Station Way, Springboro
- Hamilton Township Administration Building, 7780 S. State Route 48, Maineville
Clermont County
And if you want to get rid of lights in Clermont County, head to:
- Shor Park, 4659 Tealtown Road, Milford
- Pierce Township Administrative Office, 950 Locust Corner Road, Pierce Township
- Cincinnati Nature Center, Rowe Woods Visitor Center, 4949 Tealtown Road, Milford
- Clermont County Soil & Water Conservation District, Clermont County Fairgrounds, 1000 Locust St., Owensville,
- Clermont County Water Resources, 4400 Haskell Lane, Batavia
Learn more about Cohen's Christmas light recycling program at cohenusa.com/lights.
