This winter season, the Holiday Lights Recycling Program is back! This is an ongoing partnership program between the Lac qui Parle County Environmental Office and the Canby Developmental Achievement Center. The Canby DAC employees separate the bulbs from the wires and sell these components for recycling. This income is then used to help pay the wages of the workers.
The program’s success is due to the cooperation of our area schools and businesses and their willingness to host collection bins. If residents of Lac qui Parle County again recycle the average of 1,200 lbs. per year, the 15-year total will exceed 9 tons of holiday lights recycled! The light strings are almost 100% recyclable, reducing the amount of waste going into landfills and providing energy savings when the old lights are replaced with energy-efficient LEDs.
We ask that you dispose of any old, broken, or unused lights in the green recycling bins located conveniently throughout Lac qui Parle County. The “Recycle Your Holidays” collection bins can be found at the following participating collection sites in Madison and Dawson: MMN Elementary School, Lac qui Parle Valley High School, Lac qui Parle Annex (West Entrance), Lac qui Parle County Courthouse (East entrance), Madison City Hall (South entrance), Madison Mercantile, Jubilee Foods, Stevens Elementary School, Dawson-Boyd High School, Dawson City Hall, Al’s Mercantile, and Tim’s Food Pride. As you drop off your lights this year, please thank these businesses for their willingness to participate in this worthwhile program.
The “Recycle Your Holidays” collection bins will be available throughout the holiday season, until the end of January 2024, but the Canby DAC collects lights and cords year-round. They also accept and recycle all types of cords, including extension, telephone, appliance, and computer cords. If you should have any questions regarding this program, please contact the Lac qui Parle County Environmental Office at 320-598-3132.
