Recycle old holiday lights!

The Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency will take your old holiday lights for recycling, so DON’T throw them in the trash!

Non-working holiday lights can be dropped off at the Municipal Services Center, 925 Kerper Court, between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. from Monday, Dec. 2, through Wednesday, Jan. 15.

Holiday lights are only accepted at the drop-off location and are NOT accepted in curbside recycling collections.

Holiday lights can also be recycled year-round at the electronics recycling area at the Landfill during regular business hours. Full details HERE

When replacing your lights (especially now when all the decorations are on sale!) be sure you’re buying LEDs that will save you huge amounts of money over their long lives.

This article is an excerpt from the Department of Energy’s page on LED lighting. We love how it takes into account the longevity of an LED strand and lays out the math of electrical use:

LEDs consume far less electricity than incandescent bulbs, and decorative LED light strings such as Christmas tree lights are no different. Not only do LED holiday lights consume less electricity, they also have the following advantages:

• Safer: LEDs are much cooler than incandescent lights, reducing the risk of combustion or burnt fingers.
• Sturdier: LEDs are made with epoxy lenses, not glass, and are much more resistant to breakage.
• Longer lasting: The same LED string could still be in use 40 holiday seasons from now.
• Easier to install: Up to 25 strings of LEDs can be connected end-to-end without overloading a wall socket.

The estimated cost of electricity to light a six-foot tree for 12 hours a day for 40 days

Estimated cost* of buying and operating lights for 10 holiday seasons

*Assumes 50 C-9 bulbs and 200 mini-lights per tree, with electricity at $0.119 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) (AEO 2012 Residential Average). Prices of lights based on quoted prices for low volume purchases from major home improvement retailers. All costs have been discounted at an annual rate of 5.6%. Life span assumed to be three seasons (1,500 hours) for non-LED lights.Fun Facts from Energy Star

ENERGY STAR Certified Decorative Light Strings:

• Use 75% less energy than conventional incandescent light strings and come with a manufacturer-back warranty of at least three years.
• Do not have moving parts, filaments or glass, so they are much more durable and shock-resistant than other light strings.
• Are independently tested to meet strict lifetime and electrical requirements.