It's bright to recycle lights

Photo: Wayne Moore

If you're putting up new LED lights this year, don't throw your old light strings in the garbage. Recycle them by taking them to a recycling depot near you.

"Last year's Christmas light recycling program alone collected over ten and a half tonnes of light strings, enough to fill a 53 foot semi!," says Rae Stewart, Waste Reduction Facilitator with the Regional District.

"That's a huge amount of material that was repurposed into new product, instead of taking up space in our landfill.

Stewart adds you don't have to remove the bulbs from the strings before recycling, and power cords are also accepted as part of the program, now into its seventh year.

"Recycling your old light strings instead of tossing them out is simple good sense, environmentally and financially."

By upgrading your lights, you'll be saving energy and money on your electricity bill, as LED (light emitting diode) lights use up to 95 per cent less energy than regular Christmas lights and last at least ten times longer. Plus, LED lights produce very little heat, so they reduce the risk of fire, which is essential for your family's safety."

Stewart says the strings brought to the depots are picked up by Planet Earth Recycling Ltd, and eventually end up at  Davis Trading in Vancouver , where they're baled and exported for processing and the copper is recovered for new use in wiring and plumbing.

Recycling Depots are located at:

• Kirschner  Depot, 1988 Kirschner Rd, open daily from 8am-6pm
• Westside Residential Recycling Center, Asquith Rd, open daily from 7:30am-4:00pm
• Glenmore Landfill, 2105 Glenmore Rd, open daily from 7:30am-4:45pm
• Planet Earth Recycling  Ltd., 2035 Louie Drive,  open Monday thru Saturday 8:00am- 4:30pm

For more information click here, or contact the Regional Waste Reduction Office at 250-469-6250.