Local stores, recycling centers to offer specialty recycling for Christmas lights

While most people are familiar with recycling their Christmas trees, they might not be as familiar with options to recycle tangled strings of lights that no longer work.

Although the lights can be disposed of in the trash, some bulbs contain small amounts of mercury — a toxic substance that should be kept out of landfills.

For residents who want a better environmental option, recycling is offered at local stores and at least two recycling centers in the region.

Busy Beaver stores in New Kensington, Kittanning and other locations offer the specialty recycling.

Larger recycling centers, such as Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling in Unity Township, offer Christmas lights recycling this season but had to find another contractor because the lights are a specialty, hard-to-recycle item.

Christmas lights should not be placed among household items for curbside residential recycling, said Mike Skapura, executive director of Westmoreland Cleanways and recycling coordinator for Westmoreland County.

The strings of lights get tangled in the equipment at material recovery facilities, he said.

Copper and other wire can be salvaged, but the light strings have to be stripped off the lights manually.

That is why some vendors don’t offer Christmas light recycling, he said.

“We searched feverishly for a new vendor this year when our old vendor said the lights were more trouble than they are worth,” he said.

Because there aren’t many places for the specialty recycling, Skapura said his center attracts residents from Allegheny and Indiana counties.

“The reason we take the lights is that our customers have them,” he said. “We can get them properly recycled in the most environmentally friendly way we can.”

Michael Brothers Hauling and Recycling, with sites in Reserve Township, Pittsburgh’s South Hills, and Adamsburg, also provides the Christmas lights recycling for all Busy Beaver stores in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio and some Ace Hardware stores.

All proceeds from Michael Brothers Christmas lights recycling go to Project Bundle-Up and the Salvation Army.

“Our ownership team is really big in recycling. We found a way to not only recycle the item but also have found a way to help less fortunate residents,” said Jeremy Stark, business relations liaison for Michael Brothers.

Visit Michael Brothers’ website for details on its locations.

Westmoreland Cleanways is open from noon to 5 p.m. on Mondays; from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, and from 8:30 a.m. to noon the second Saturday of every month. Lights and other recyclable items can be dropped off via a drive-thru.