365 Ways to Save the Planet

Day 3 – Have your holiday lights lost their twinkle? A third of our lights have a tendency to go out half way through the holidays. Consider recycling those strands before tossing them into the garbage. Below is a lengthy list of numerous towns and cities that participate in the Elgin Recycling Program. Last year, 51 municipalities collected over 100,000 pounds of holiday lights and kept them out of landfills.

I’m also adding myself to the list. If you live in the North Center neighborhood or surrounding area and would like to drop off your holiday lights to be recycled, I will be happy to get them where they need to go. I will have a bin inside my foyer, starting today thru January 31st. Any kind of string lights and extension cords are accepted. No garland or wreaths, please. Do not put the lights in bags. Just place the lights in the bin. These instructions pertain to every drop-off location listed in this post.

Also, be sure to recycle those Christmas Trees. The city of Chicago and surrounding suburbs offer numerous drop-off locations. Check out the Chicago locations HERE!

List of Participants in the Elgin Holiday Light Recycling Program – Be sure to wear your mask

1. Addison – SCARCE at 800 S. Rohlwing Road (Rt 53) Unit D – Collects all year round
2. Arlington Heights – Health & Human Services Department at Village Hall (33 S. Arlington Heights Road) or at the Public Works Center, 222 N. Ridge Ave. – Collection through February 26th
3. Batavia – Fabyan Parkway Recycling Center, 517 E. Fabyan Parkway – Collecting year round
4. Bensenville – Village Hall, 12 South Center Street / Public Works, 717 E. Jefferson Street – Collecting thru January
5. Buffalo Grove – Village Hall, 50 Raupp Blvd.
6. Carol Stream – Village Hall, 500 N. Gary Ave. / Carol Stream Public Library, 616 Hiawatha Drive
7. Chicago – The Gaiettos – send me an email if you need the address, smgaietto@gmail.com
8. Clarendon Hills – Police Department, 448 Park Avenue – Collecting until February 1st
9. Crystal Lake – 5114 Terra Cotta Ave. – Collecting year round
10. Darien – Darien Police Station, 1710 Plainfield Road – Collecting until February 1st
11. Downers Grove – Public Works Facility, 5101 Walnut Ave. Collection through February, 19th
12. East Dundee – Depot, located at 319 N River Street – Collecting until January 31st
13. Elgin – 660 Schiller Street – Collecting year round
14. Elmhurst – Courts Plus, 186 S. West Avenue / The Elmhurst Park District Administrative Office, 375 W First St. / Wagner Community Center, 615 N. West Ave. / The Abbey, 407 W Saint Charles Rd / City Hall, 209 N. York St. – Collecting until January 25th.
15. Evanston – Evanston Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd. / Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave. / Robert Crown Community Center, 1801 Main St. – Collecting until January 31st
16. Glen Ellyn – Spring Avenue Recreation Center, 185 Spring Avenue (outside the lower-level entrance) / Main Street Recreation Center, 501 Hill Avenue (outside the North entrance) / Ackerman SFC, 800 St. Charles Road (outside the main entrance) – Collecting until January 31st
17. Glenview – Public Works Department, at the corner of East Lake Avenue and Shermer Road – Collecting until February 28th
18. Hanover Park – Public Works, 2041 W. Lake Street – Collecting until March 31st
19. Itasca – Police Department, 540 W. Irving Park Road
20. Lisle – Village Hall, 925 Burlington Avenue – Collecting until January 29th
21. Lombard – Public Works, 1051 S. Hammerschmidt Avenue – Collecting until January 18th
22. Mount Prospect – Public Works Department, 1700 West Central Road – Collecting year round
23. Naperville – Fort Hill Activity Center, 20 Fort Hill Drive / Golf shop at Springbrook Golf Course, 2220 83rd Street / Golf shop at Naperbrook Golf Course, 22204 Hassert Blvd., Plainfield – Collecting until February 1st.
24. Park Ridge – Public Works Service Center, 400 Busse Highway – Collecting until March 1st
25. Rolling Meadows – City Hall, 3600 Kirchoff Road – Collecting until February 12th
26. Roselle – Police Station, 103 S. Prospect Street – Collecting until January 31st
27. Schaumburg – Engineering & Public Works Building, 714 S. Plum Grove Road – Collecting year round
28. Skokie – Skokie Public Works main entrance, 9050 Gross Point Road – Collecting until January 29th
29. Streamwood –  Village Hall, 301 E. Irving Park Road / Public Works, 565 S. Bartlett Road / Poplar Creek Public Library, 1405 S. Park Ave. / Park Place Family Recreation Center, 550 S. Park Blvd. – Collecting until February 5th
30. Warrenville – Park District Recreation Center , 3S260 Warren Ave. – Collecting until end of January
31. West Chicago – City Hall, 475 Main Street / First United Methodist Church of West Chicago, 643 East Washington Street / Murphy Ace Hardware, 319 South Neltnor Boulevard / West Chicago Water Treatment Plant, 1400 West Hawthorne Lane / West Chicago Public Library District, 118 West Washington Street / The ARC Center, 201 W. National Street – Collecting until January 17th
32. West Dundee – Public Works, 900 Angle Tarn – Collecting year round
33. Westmont – Johanik Fire Station Headquarters, 6015 S. Cass / Westmont Public Library, 428 N. Cass – Collecting until January 31st
34. Wheaton – Public Works Storage Facility, 820 W. Liberty Drive – Collecting until January 22nd
35. Wilmette – Public Works, 711 Laramie Ave. – Collecting until January 31st
36. Wood Dale – Public Works facility, 720 N Central Ave – Collecting until January 15th
37. Woodrige – Woodstock – City Hall, 121 West Calhoun St. / Woodstock Police Department, 656 Lake Ave. / Woodstock Public Library, 414 West Judd St. / Public Works, 326 Washington St. / Woodstock Recreation Center, 820 Lake Ave. – Collecting until February 12th

Other Holiday Light Recycling Programs

1. Algonquin – Ganek Municipal Center, 2200 Harnish Drive – Collecting until January 18th
2. Cary – Village Hall, 655 Village Hall Drive / Cary Fire Protection District Station 1, 400 Cary-Algonquin Road / Cary Fire Protection District Station 2, 2015 Crystal Lake Road / Kraus Senior Center, 441 W. Main St. – Collecting thru January
3. Elk Grove Village – City Hall, 8401 Laguna Palms Way / Special Waste Collection Center, 9255 Disposal Lane – Collecting until January 31st (They accept the following: Indoor/Outdoor string lights/ Large lighted decorations such as inflatables / Lighted reindeer and other sculptures)
4. Grays Lake – Village Public Works Facility, 585 Berry Avenue
5. Highland Park – City Recycling Center, 1180 Half Day Road
6. Lake Barrington – Prairieland Disposal & Recycling, 21988 N. Pepper Road
7. Lakewood – Village of Lakewood Village Hall, 2500 Lake Ave. – Collecting until February 28th
8. Morengo – 132 East Prairie Street, (815) 568-7112
9. Orland Park – Recreation Administration, 14600 S. Ravinia Avenue / Village Hall, 14700 S. Ravinia Avenue / Sportsplex, 11351 W. 159th Street / Franklin E. Loebe Recreation Center, 14650 S. Ravinia Avenue / Orland Park Health & Fitness, 15430 West Avenue – Collecting until February 16th
10. Richmond – Richmond Village Hall, 5600 Hunter Drive – Collecting year round
11. Spring Grove – Village of Spring Grove Municipal Centre, 7401 Meyer Road – Collecting year round

If you don’t find your village, town or city on the list it doesn’t mean they do not offer holiday light recycling. A simple Google search, a visit to your city hall’s website or a phone call, will provide you with the information you need.

Tomorrow, I’ll share how we’re saying goodbye to the blue bin.