CERTs Works with Recycling Association of Minnesota & Partners to Recycle Inefficient Holiday Lights Across the State

Contact:
Maggie Mattacola
Recycling Association of Minnesota
612-670-9138
maggie@recycleminnesota.org

It’s that time of year again, bring out your holiday lights and untangle the wadded mess, but what do you do with the strings that no longer light up? Most people just throw them in the trash, but not anymore.

The Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM) in partnership with WCCO TV, Xcel Energy, Snyders Drug Stores and the Clean Energy Resource Teams, announces the launch of “Recycle Your Holidays™,” a first-of-its-kind effort in the country starting mid-November and going through January 10 all throughout the state.

“Recycle Your Holidays recycles every part of the light strings. Even the little lights are recycled by another project partner Green Lights Recycling.” stated Ellen Telander, Executive Director of RAM. “This year our goal is to recycle over 50,000 light strands and to encourage Minnesotans to use LED light strands instead, which will save a lot of energy.”

Minnesotans are urged to drop off their old, broken holiday lights at any participating Snyders Drug Stores or various locations during the holiday season. Unlike any other holiday lights recycling program in the country, RAM will recycle all lights and cords free of charge by working with local vocational centers that provide meaningful jobs and job training. Another great added benefit is the reduction of waste going to landfills-helping keep our air and water cleaner.

“This is a great chance to combine recycling with energy efficiency,” says Joel Haskard, a coordinator with the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs). “People can reduce their home energy costs with new LED lights, plus there is a 85-90% reduction of energy using recycled copper from the old holiday lights versus extracting copper.” Haskard notes that many utilities and hardware stores now offer rebates on LED holiday lights.

The new program provides free recycling of holiday lights, free recycling bins with signs and free pick up service to any participating local business, school or church. The program can also recycle any type of electrical cord as well.

The recycling containers for this program are currently stored in Hutchinson, Minnesota. CERTs and RAM staff will do our best to get containers to you. To become a holiday lights collection site in the Recycle Your Holidays ™ program, call 651-641-4560 or email ram@recycleminnesota.org.

You can find more information and existing holiday light recycling locations at http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/recycle-your-holidays.