Recycle Your Old Holiday Lights for FREE!

Published on December 12, 2024

DENVER ­– Did you find broken, burned-out or impossibly tangled sets of lights stored away with last year’s holiday decorations? Don’t throw them out!  Recycle them instead by dropping them off at our Cherry Creek Recycling Center or Blue Star Recyclers through January 2. Please note, holiday lights will only be accepted for recycling at drop off locations and should not be placed in purple recycling carts.

Last year, Denver residents recycled 4,352 lbs. of holiday lights - that’s more than two tons of lights!

How to Recycle Your Lights:

Here’s What’s Accepted:

• Light strings and wires with incandescent, LED, and "icicle" lights
• Attached bulbs okay

Here’s What’s Not Accepted:

• Bubble lights (liquid-filled) or neon lights
• Lights contained in plastic bags or cardboard boxes; please remove light strings from packaging material

FREE Drop-off Locations:

Cherry Creek Recycling Center

• Located near the intersection of S. Quebec St. and E. Cherry Creek South Drive. Enter going south on Cherry Creek Dr. South (follow the signs)
• Drop off Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• Closed on Sundays, Mondays, and city holidays

Blue Star Recyclers 

• 953 Decatur St. Denver, CO 80204
• Drop off Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Closed on Sundays
• Note: Blue Star will be closed December 24 - January 1; the drop site will reopen Thursday, January 2

In addition, a reminder that Treecycle will begin December 26.  Recycle your holiday tree by dropping it off at one of our collection sites! Trees received at Treecycle drop sites will be turned into mulch made available to Denver residents in the spring! Trees left out for collection will be collected as Large Item Pickup and not mulched.