It’s the most wonderful time of the year… until you discover those seasonal string lights don’t work anymore. Don’t feel burnt out: Peoria County has kicked off their annual Holiday Lights Recycling Program where residents interested in getting rid of old, broken, or simply unwanted strings of lights can do so in a more environmental fashion.
The program has been helping slow down the waste accumulation that’s caused by the holidays for the past decade according to Becca Cottrell, Coordinator of the Sustainability & Resource Conservation Department at Peoria County. “We started this collection for County employees in 2012 and expanded to public collection in 2014 with Forest Park Nature Center,” says Cottrell.
This year, there are five different locations around the County where residents can recycle. To participate, just drop any unneeded light strings into the colorfully decorated bins at the places listed below and County employees will take the bins for proper recycling. The program ends January 9, 2023, covering the entire season from decoration time to after the new year.
Residents are asked to refrain from dropping loose lightbulbs into the bins as the most reusable resource is the string itself. Peoria County S&RC thanks everyone who participates in advance, especially the bin hosts. The host drop-off locations are as follows:
-Peoria County Courthouse (Jefferson St. Entrance)
-Forest Park Nature Center
-Chillicothe Public Library
-Alpha Park Public Library (Bartonville)
-Lillie M. Evans Library District (Princeville)