Over Two Tons Recycled: Dubuque Does Holiday Lights Right

Congratulations, you did it, Dubuqu. After all the reminders, gentle nudges, and maybe even an article featuring a holiday rhyme or two about those tangled twinklers, the results are officially in. And trust me, they’re definitely something worth celebrating.

Read More: Stop! Don’t Throw Away Your Holiday Lights in Dubuque

According to a recent release from the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency, between November 10th, 2025, and January 10th, 2026, our community recycled 4,820 pounds of holiday lights instead of sending them to the landfill! That’s nearly two and a half tons of twinkly, tangled strands that won’t be wrapping themselves around landfill equipment or spending endless years waiting for the plastics, copper, and glass to degrade. Instead, they were properly recycled and put on the path to becoming something new. Now that's sustainable success.

This year’s seasonal recycling effort was made possible through DMASWA in partnership with the City of Dubuque, the Carnegie-Stout Public Library, the City of Dyersville, Dubuque County Library branches, and Steve’s Ace Hardware. This is now the seventh year of the program, which has kept more than 26,000 pounds of holiday lights out of the landfill so far. That’s no fluke. That’s purely a community doing the right thing.

Get our free mobile app

But in case you forget, here’s a reminder worth keeping long after the decorations come down: this effort doesn’t end when the holidays do. If you uncover a dead strand while spring cleaning or find a box of lights that’s seen one holiday too many, those can still be recycled year-round at the DMASWA Regional Collection Center. Appointments are required, but the option is always there when you need it.

So take a moment and celebrate this big win, Dubuque, because it’s a good one. And when the next strand finally goes dark, you already know what to do. Just keep recycling those lights.