Chicago residents can recycle their real Christmas trees and holiday lights at various locations across the city. Learn about the programs and find drop-off locations.
If you decorated your home with a real tree this Christmas, it's time to think about recycling instead of sending it to a landfill. Starting Jan. 11, Chicago residents can drop off real trees at one of 27 parks throughout the city. The Department of Streets and Sanitation and the Chicago Park District first launched the city's Christmas tree recycling program in 1990. All trees must be free of ornaments, tinsel, lights or flocking.
Plastic bags used for transport must also be removed before placing trees in the stalls. From Jan. 11-25: Sherry Skalko from Reduce Waste Chicago said they started holiday light collection efforts four years ago across six locations on the North Side, collecting roughly 1,400 lbs of material. The amount of material more than doubled last year at two dozen locations. This year, Reduce Waste Chicago has expanded to 34 locations across the city and suburbs accepting holiday lights. 'There are companies out there that will take out the really valuable metals that are inside the wires and reuse them for other purposes,' Skalko said. 'That's a heck of a lot better than sending them to the landfill where they will never be used again.' Holiday lights will be collected from Dec. 1 through Jan. 31 at all the following locations. Check out Reduce Waste's website for more information
Recycling Christmas Tree Holiday Lights Environmental Sustainability Chicago
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