TOLEDO, Ohio — You may have already seen them around your neighborhood, with lights that are merry and bright popping up on homes and front lawns to celebrate the holiday season.
But what should you do if you get ready to get decorating and discover your Christmas lights are broken or not so bright?
The answer, according to AIMEcycling, is to recycle.
“Christmas lights are just one of those things that people often overlook as being recyclable but it’s really important to utilize this option,” Brian Simmons from AIMEcycling said in a media release Monday. “Christmas lights are made from several non-biodegradable components, mostly plastic, glass, and copper. They take decades, if not hundreds of years to break down if sent to a landfill.”
With help from AIM and GenoaBank, you can keep your lights out of landfills and also contribute to a good cause. GenoaBank branch locations will accept Christmas lights through Jan. 13 at most locations for AIM to recycle.
AIM has committed to making a donation of up to 20 cents for each pound collected to contribute to the mission of Nature's Nursery Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation Education.
This is the third year for AIM's Christmas light recycling program. Over the last two years of this initiative, 5,643 pounds of lights have been collected and 100% of the materials recycled, according to AIM.
Lights can be dropped off during lobby business hours at all GenoaBank branch locations except downtown Toledo.
The following GenoaBank locations will accept lights from now through Jan. 13:
- GenoaBank (Sylvania Branch) at 5501 Monroe St., Sylvania
- GenoaBank (Maumee Branch) at 703 Conant St., Maumee
- GenoaBank (Oregon Branch) at 3201 Navarre Ave., Oregon
- GenoaBank (Millbury Branch) at 24950 West State Route 51, Millbury
- GenoaBank (Genoa Branch) at 801 Main St., Genoa
- GenoaBank (Perrysburg/Rossford Branch) at 9920 Old US 20, Rossford
- GenoaBank (Port Clinton/Catawba Branch) at 4068 East Harbor Road, Port Clinton
- GenoaBank (Fremont Branch) at 1701 W. State St., Fremont
Large drop boxes, like the one pictured below, are available in the lobby to deposit lights for collection and recycling.
