Recycling Holiday Lights Matters in Iowa — Dubuque’s Success

The holiday season in Iowa brings festive decorations, sparkling lights, and plenty of holiday cheer. But once the season ends, what happens to all your old, broken, or unwanted holiday lights? While it may seem easiest to toss them in the trash, recycling holiday lights is the smarter and more environmentally responsible choice — especially for communities across Iowa.

Here in Dubuque, a successful holiday light recycling program is proving just how much of an impact proper disposal can have. The Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency (DMASWA), in partnership with local organizations, collected and recycled 4,790 pounds of holiday lights during the 2024/25 holiday season. Since the program began 6 years ago, more than 21,000 pounds of lights have been kept out of our local landfill.

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But, Why Does This Matter for Iowa?

Iowa, like many states, faces challenges with landfill space and waste management. Landfills across the state are filling up, and electronic waste—like holiday lights—adds to the problem. These lights contain valuable materials such as copper, glass, and plastic that can be reclaimed and reused instead of sitting in landfills for decades. Recycling these materials reduces the need for new raw resources and supports a more sustainable economy.

Additionally, holiday lights often contain harmful chemicals, including lead, that can leach into Iowa’s soil and water if improperly disposed of. Keeping these materials out of landfills helps protect local ecosystems, farmland, and waterways. An added issue comes during trash processing. Holiday lights can often become stuck or wrapped around processing machinery, which adds to extensive expenses in management and repairs and an overall delay in processing trash that is actually acceptable to be thrown out.

How Iowans Can Make a Difference

Recycling holiday lights in Iowa is easier than ever. In Dubuque, residents can drop off lights year-round at the Regional Collection Center at the DMASWA Landfill (by appointment). Many communities across Iowa offer similar programs, and national retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Walmart frequently have collection bins during the holiday season.

With sustainability becoming a growing priority for Iowans, small actions — like properly recycling holiday lights — can add up to make a big difference. Like 21,000 pounds of difference! Instead of sending them to a landfill, let’s keep Iowa shining bright by recycling those festive twinkles.