Broken Holiday Lights? How To Recycle Them On Cape Cod This Year

News release from Barnstable County.

BARNSTABLE, MA — Have broken or unwanted holiday lights? Don’t toss them—recycle them! Barnstable County’s Cape Cod Cooperative Extension and AmeriCorps Cape Cod are teaming up with all 15 Cape towns to offer a free holiday lights recycling program. Starting now through mid-January 2025, residents can drop off old or damaged holiday lights at designated collection bins located at their local transfer stations. The lights will be processed, with recyclable materials recovered to reduce waste in Cape Cod landfills.

“This time of year, many holiday lights are discarded due to single broken bulbs or worn-out strands,” said Kari Parcell, Municipal Assistance Coordinator with the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension. “This recycling drive offers an easy and free way for Cape Cod residents to keep holiday waste out of our landfills, helping protect the environment and preserving the beauty of our region.”

How to Participate:

Simply bring your old holiday lights to your town’s transfer station between now and mid-January. Look for the designated holiday light recycling bins—it’s that easy.

Accepted Items:

• Rope lights

• Garland lights

• C7 and C9 bulbs

• Mini lights

• LED holiday lights

Items Not Accepted:

• Lights attached to artificial trees

• Lighted decorations such as stars, angels, or other fixtures

Why Recycle Holiday Lights on Cape Cod?

Recycling helps preserve Cape Cod’s unique environment by reducing waste and keeping hazardous materials out of landfills. Through this free program, we work with a vendor that strips off the plastic from the lights, removes the metals, and melts them down to be reused—giving those old holiday lights a new purpose.

This initiative is part of Barnstable County’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, conservation, and waste diversion. It’s just one example of how the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension works year-round to protect Cape Cod’s natural resources while providing valuable services to local residents.