Got old and broken holiday lights? Here’s how you can recycle them.

Around this time of year, we get a lot of questions about how to get rid of burned-out strings of holiday lights. Those past-their-prime decorative lights aren’t hazardous waste, but in King County we have recycling options that are safer and more environmentally-friendly than chucking them in the trash.

Holiday lights are free to recycle through a handful of local programs. King County’s EcoConsumer program highlights these convenient options below.

Local drop-off recycling programs

• Boy Scout Troop 575 – Nine locations in Redmond and Sammamish
• Maple Leaf Ace Hardware – Neighborhood store in north Seattle
• McLendon Hardware – All 7 Puget Sound area locations
• Uptekk – Recycling drop-off center in Auburn
• West Seattle Recycling – Drop-off center

In addition to the no-cost programs above, there are a couple other services that recycle holiday lights.

Other recycling programs

• HolidayLEDs.com – Pack up and ship your old string lights for recycling. Standard shipping fees apply.
• Ridwell – Subscription-based household recycling service. They seasonally accept holiday lights with other recyclables.

Recycling programs may ask you to remove the larger glass bulbs, as well as any plastic attachments. The glass and plastic are not recyclable and should be thrown away.

Other businesses and organizations may also offer holiday lights recycling programs. When shopping for new holiday lights, ask the retailer if they have a recycling program.

Thank you for recycling your holiday lights! For more holiday-related waste tips, check out King County EcoConsumer’s Green Holidays page.