Find recyclers for broken holiday lights

While you’re packing up all the holiday decorations, pull out the broken and burned out lights, and drop them off for recycling.

Christmas lights contain common recyclable materials like plastic, glass, copper and sometimes even lead, all of which can harm the environment if not recycled properly. If you recycle them at a facility that is equipped to handle them, though, these materials can be reclaimed and reused. If you simply toss them in curbside recycling, they can tangle in the recycling center’s machines and even break the equipment.

In the Kansas City region, holiday lights are accepted for recycling at these locations:

• Kansas City Recycling Center, 5200 E. Red Bridge Road, Kansas City, MO
• Kansas City Recycling Center, 5601 N.E. Pleasant Valley Road, Kansas City, MO
• Kansas City Zoo through Sunday, January 9 at the guest relations desk, 6800 Zoo Drive, Kansas City, MO.
• Kearney Recycling Center, 504 E. 19^th St., Kearney, MO
• Lee’s Summit HHW Facility, 2101 S.E. Hamblen Road, Lee’s Summit, MO
• Midwest Recycling Center, 2000 E. 19^thSt., Kansas City, MO
• Overland Park Recycling Center, 11921 Hardy St., Overland Park, KS
• Sylvester Powell Jr. Community Center, 6200 Martway St., Mission, KS
• Olathe e-Waste Recycling Program (Johnson County, KS residents), 1420 S. Robinson Drive, Olathe, KS.

Some national home improvement stores, like ACE Hardware, Home Depot, Lowes, Menards and True Value have recycling boxes, usually at the store entrance.

If you can’t find a local place to recycle them, you can mail lights to:

• Christmas Light Source Recycling Program, 4313 Elmwood Drive, Benbrook, TX 76116
• Holiday LEDS at W227N6225 Sussex Road, Door #12, Sussex, WI 53089

To recycle other items in the Kansas City region, check RecycleSpot.org for a location near you.