WILL COUNTY – Traditionally, the day after Thanksgiving is a good time to bring out Christmas decorations and the time people discover non-working string lights. Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant reminds residents to dispose of these lights in an environmentally friendly way.
“This holiday season, our Resource and Recovery and Energy Division of the Land Use Department enhances opportunities to recycle unwanted light strings by placing labeled collection carts at a few of county buildings so residents can safely recycle these lights,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “Now is the season to be thankful for our resources by recovering them instead of tossing them in the trash.”
String lights take up space in the landfill, taking hundreds of years to decompose. They contain copper, plastic and glass that could be returned to the economy rather than wasted. Animals, domestic or wild, may also get into trash receptacles, become entangled in the lights. Safe recovery of these lights is a win for all.
Collection carts will be set up between Dec. 1 through Jan. 31 just outside the County Office Building entrance at 302 N. Chicago Street, Joliet; inside the lobby of the Land Use building, 58 E. Clinton Street, Joliet; and just inside Sunny Hill Nursing Home’s entrance at 421 Doris Avenue, Joliet. The Village of Homer Glen is also partnering to offer a collection receptacle at 14240 W 151st St, Homer Glen.
These locations are only open during their normal business hours. String lights are also accepted year-round at any of the eight electronic collection sites offered through partnerships around the county during their hours of operation. Residents are encouraged to visit the county’s environmental website at www.willcountygreen.com for information on special electronic collection events and waste reduction tips..
