As holiday lights come out of storage to line our rooftops and trees, some will inevitably be set aside in favor of a new set. Great Parks and Cohen Recycling are once again teaming up to keep these old lights out of the landfill, helping to conserve our natural lands. Through the annual holiday lights recycling program, broken and unwanted lights will be accepted for recycling at specially marked bins in the following Great Parks destinations from Dec. 1, 2022, through Feb. 1, 2023.
- The Ellenwood Nature Barn at Farbach-Werner Preserve
- Glenwood Gardens gatehouse
- Miami Whitewater Forest visitor center
- Sharon Centre at Sharon Woods
- Winton Centre at Winton Woods
- The Breezy Point Pavilion at Woodland Mound.
Both LED and traditional bulb string lights will be accepted for recycling. However, the program is for lights only, and not for other recyclable materials. Bags and boxes used to transport the lights should also not be left in the bins.
Last year, the holiday lights recycling program brought in 11,840 pounds of lights, which represented the second-highest total in the history of the Great Parks collaboration with Cohen Recycling. Cohen presented a check to Great Parks for $3,372 for the material collected.