Check out this short video on What To Do With Your Burnt Out Christmas Lights and then read on for fabulous tips from Product Care.
Burnt out Christmas lights? Recycle them!
At this time of year, British Columbians are unboxing their Christmas decorations, including lights. We all know that
annoying feeling when you plug in the string lights and the bulbs are no longer working. Many people don’t know what to do with that pesky string once it’s reached the end of its useful life. Thankfully, they can be recycled.
Highlights
- You can recycle all kinds of string lights in B.C – from retro-style incandescent strings to LED garlands which twinkle and blink – Product Care Recycling, Christmas Lights Blog
- 40 million light bulbs have been diverted from landfill by Product Care since 2010 – Product Care Recycling, 2018 Annual Report
- Usage of energy from Christmas lights in B.C. has increased 15% since 2012– B.C Hydro, From Grinch to Griswold 2018 Report
- 57% of British Columbians put up Christmas lights, almost half of which put up three or more stands – B.C Hydro, From Grinch to Griswold 2018 Report
In addition to string lights, our program accepts all kinds of lighting products from fixtures (think chandeliers, desk lamps, etc.) to burnt out light bulbs including fluorescent tubes, halogen bulbs, CFL’s, LEDs, and more.
Check out Product Care’s full list of accepted products and find a location near you that accepts them online. Recycling your Christmas lights gives their parts a new life, rather than adding to our landfills. After lights are dropped off at a collection site, they’re transported to authorized recyclers for processing – right here in Canada. Machines are used to break down the products into component parts (e.g. precious metal, glass, plastic) and harvest the materials that went into the products in the first place.
Thank You to Kristina Charania
Marketing & Design Coordinator
productcare.org
P.S. Give yourself or someone you love with the gift of a clutter-free 2020 and contact us today for a free over the phone consultation.
www.gettingittogether.ca
Thanks for repeating this message. Recycling is important.
There is an interesting observation that my friends and I have experienced. The new LED string lights that are supposed to reduce electrical usage actually seldom last more than 3 years. This is something that some group should be monitoring. It is creating more waste in the meantime. If the product is good it should last considerably longer. I do not know if the cost benefit of saving a few dollars in electricity outweighs the cost of repurchasing and recycling these strings so frequently.
It would be beneficial if the manufacturers had to take them back so they could improve their product performance
Hi Vanessa,
I agree with you. Imagine if the manufacturers had to take them back. Maybe Hydro has an answer for us.
Rowena