Holiday How To: Recycle Christmas Trees and Christmas Lights

The Holiday season is certainly one of the most joyous times of the year and the traditions associated with it bring out the inner-child in all of us.While spending time with friends and family it is important to be mindful of the potential waste the Holidays can produce. Each year, Americans throw away an average of an extra 25 million tons of garbage from Thanksgiving to New Years. In fact, the 38,000 miles of ribbon thrown out every year is enough to tie around the Earth! So in honor of our precious planet, here are some tips for staying green during the Holiday season.

Recycle Christmas Tree and Wraths

Instead of simply throwing out your Christmas tree after the passing of Christmas, recycle it! Recycled trees can be used for erosion protection, mulch and can be grown and harvested much like a crop. 

In most cities, Christmas tree recycling can be done by leaving the tree on your curb for the normal greenery recycling pickup day. If this service is not available in your town, Earth 911 is the most comprehensive Christmas tree recycling guide on the internet and will certainly point you to the closest and most convenient option. Go to earth911.com/ for more information!

Recycle Christmas Lights

Christmas lights were not made to last forever. Over time, the lights will go out or shatter. It's inevitable. Instead of throwing the lights out or storing them in your attic, recycling is an excellent choice. The various components that make up the lights such as pvc, glass and copper can be repackaged into a multitude of things. 

Holiday LEDs is a great service that accepts all recycled Christmas lights and in return will send you a 15% off gift certificate to purchase new LED Christmas lights on their website. LED lights use less energy and ultimately are less of a burden on your electricity bill! The recycling program information can be found at the link below.

http://www.holidayleds.com/holidayledscom_christmas_light_recycling_program

Wishing everyone a joyous and merry Christmas!