Iowa City area offers holiday light recycling

IOWA CITY - Iowa City area residents can go green this holiday season rather than struggling with those old tangled holiday lights.

The cities of Iowa City and Coralville teamed up to put on a holiday light recycling program. Residents have until Jan. 9 to drop off old or broken lights in special bins at 11 different locations, including Hy-Vees.

Jen Jordan, Iowa City recycling coordinator, said lights must be dropped off at the locations and cannot be put into regular recycling bins at home.

'It's one of the most popular programs,” Jordan said. 'I start getting questions about it in early December.”

Jordan said the holidays can be a busy time for landfills. She said as people get new stuff, they're looking to get rid of the old.

'There's lots of recycling opportunities at the landfill and throughout the community,” Jordan said.

The program is in its fourth or fifth year, Jordan said. Last holiday season, the city filled up four boxes, each larger than a cubic yard, with lights.

The lights are turned over to electronics recovery companies where they're mostly used for scrap metal and wire, she said.

Iowa City and Coralville residents can set out live trees, wreaths and garland for curbside pickup on Jan. 9, as long as decorations are removed. The trees are turned into mulch or composted, Jordan said.

Wrapping paper, cards and envelopes also can be recycled with regular paper, as long as the holiday paper doesn't have glitter or metallic parts, according to the city's recycling guide website.

Broken-down boxes and paper packing materials also can be recycled.

More information on holiday recycling is at icgov.org/recycling.

Drop off locations:

Iowa City

- Hy-Vee South, 1720 Waterfront Dr. (container investibule)

- Hy-Vee East, 912 S. First Ave. (container in vestibule)

- Hy-Vee, 1125 N. Dodge St. (container in can redemption center)

- Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center, 3900 Hebl Ave. SW (at scale)

- ReStore, 2401 Scott Blvd. SE (north donation entrance)

- Stuff Etc. (1027 Highway 6)

Coralville

- Coralville Hy-Vee, Lantern Park Plaza, 1914 Eighth St.

- Stuff Etc., 2818 Commerce Dr.

- Coralville City Hall, 1512 Seventh St.

- Coralville Recreation Center, 1506 Eighth St.

- Coralville Recycling Center, 110 E. Seventh St.