{"id":24005,"date":"2025-10-07T19:48:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T19:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/?p=24005"},"modified":"2025-12-15T00:22:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T00:22:10","slug":"holiday-lights-recycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecocycle.org\/holiday-lights-recycling\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Recycle Christmas Lights and Holiday Lights in Boulder County\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The holiday season is here, and that means it\u2019s time to untangle those Christmas lights and deck the halls! <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Whether you\u2019re channeling your inner Clark Griswold or just aiming for a cozy glow for the solstice season, we all know the sinking feeling of realizing a string of lights are broken and need to be recycled. Plug in to sustainability this winter by recycling your old stringed lights!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where to Recycle Your Broken Holiday Lights<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Don’t allow your broken Christmas lights to dim your shine\u2014if you can\u2019t repair your string lights, recycle them at the  Eco-Cycle\/City of Boulder Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM)<\/a> in Boulder instead! Holiday lights are accepted for recycling year-round<\/a> since they contain precious copper metal resources, which can (and should) be recycled indefinitely!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where Christmas Lights Go at the CHaRM<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the holiday season and beyond, we have a bin for recycling Christmas lights at the CHaRM separate from the \u201cCables and Wires\u201d bin we have year-round. Here\u2019s why: One gaylord\u2014that’s what the giant, industrial cardboard boxes you’ll see around the lane are called\u2014is for thicker cables such as extension cords, which contain more copper per pound. Christmas lights go in a separate recycling bin (gaylord) because they typically have intertwining strands of tiny wires that are much smaller in circumference (like the ones you may have intended for a Christmas tree this season) as well as a higher proportion of non-recyclable plastic housing and bulbs. So when you visit the CHaRM, be sure to keep an eye out for the String Lights bin if you\u2019re looking to recycle your old Christmas lights!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why do we collect and recycle holiday lights separately? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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We do this because the Eco-Cycle CHaRM facility maintains a tight operating budget, and by collecting these items separately, we enable our recycling markets to offer us a better exchange rate for the gaylord containing thicker cables that have more copper in them. If thicker cables and string lights were to be all mixed together, this option would not be possible. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In turn, this gives the CHaRM a little more leeway in the budget to cover the costs of recycling materials that, while important to keep out of the landfill, do not have as much market value and are more expensive to recycle. And that’s just good business practice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recycling Christmas Lights Outside Boulder <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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You do not need to be a City of Boulder resident to use the CHaRM, but if you need to recycle old holiday lights and the CHaRM in Boulder isn\u2019t conveniently located near you, check your municipality\u2019s website to see if they offer a seasonal collection for cables and wires in your area, such as Longmont’s drop-off program available through Jan. 5, 2025<\/a>. You can also check out this mail-in program<\/a>, which allows you to ship holiday lights if local options are not available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you’re in the market to buy new holiday lights, be sure to opt for environmentally friendly LED lights instead of traditional incandescents\u2014they use 90% less energy, and will last up to 25 times longer<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learn more about recycling holiday items and find sustainable holiday tips in our Zero Waste Holiday Guide<\/a>, available in English and Spanish. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The holiday season is here, and that means it\u2019s time to untangle those Christmas lights and deck the halls!  Whether you\u2019re channeling your inner Clark Griswold or just aiming for a cozy glow for the solstice season, we all know the sinking feeling of realizing a string of lights are broken and need to be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":24007,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[151,1,266,297,275],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-homepage","category-community-stories-program-updates","category-charm-and-recycling-partners","category-reuse-recycling-and-composting","category-sustainable-living"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Recycle Christmas Lights and Holiday Lights in Boulder County\u00a0 - Eco-Cycle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Recycle Christmas Lights and Holiday Lights in Boulder County\u00a0 - 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