String Light Recycling Program Begins In Will County

WILL COUNTY, IL — It's almost time to start hanging the holiday lights, and that means it's almost time to see if any of those lights have stopped working since last year. Starting Sunday, Dec. 1 and continuing through Friday, Jan. 31, Will County residents can dispose of those broken lights safely at one of four recycling locations provided by the county.

Collection carts will be set up at the County Office Building, 302 N. Chicago Street, Joliet; the Land Use building, 58 E. Clinton Street, Joliet; and Sunny Hill Nursing Home, 421 Doris Avenue, Joliet. This year the village of Homer Glen is also offering a collection site at its village hall, 14240 W 151st Street, Homer Glen.

The County Office and Land Use buildings will have their drop-off locations open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on all weekdays, excluding holidays. The Sunny Hill drop-off will be open 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., seven days a week. The Homer Glen Village Hall will accept donations from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. all weekdays, excluding holidays. Lights can also be taken to any of the six electronic collection sites across the county during their operational hours. Be advised, only old string lights will be accepted. No compact fluorescent lamps or other fluorescent lights will be taken.

Besides clearing space in your garage or storage closet, recycling old lights instead of throwing them away benefits the environment and quality of life for all county residents - including the non-human ones. String lights take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose contain chemicals that are hazardous to the water and soil. Animals, domestic or wild, can also get into trash receptacles, become entangled in the lights and strangle themselves. Proper recycling ensures the least harm possible is done to the local ecosystem.

"Each holiday season we set up carts at some of our county buildings so residents can safely recycle these lights," Will County Executive Larry Walsh said. "Now is the season to be thankful for our resources by recovering them instead of tossing them in the trash."

For more information about the light recycling program, or to learn more about special electronic collection events and waste reduction tips, visit Will County’s "green" site at www.willcountygreen.com.