Home Depot Recycles Holiday Lights, Gives Discounts

Looking to replace your incandescent Christmas lights with a more eco-friendly option?

From Nov. 3 through Nov. 13, Home Depot is accepting old, broken or used holiday light strings for recycling. For each unwanted incandescent light string, customers will receive a coupon of up to $5 off new LED Christmas lights.

LED holiday lights use 80 percent less energy than their incandescent counterparts and can last up to 10 times longer, according to Home Depot.

READ: An $18 LED Bulb That Lasts 5 Years?

LED lights offer other benefits beyond saving energy and money: Because LEDs are cool to the touch, you’re less likely to have a Christmas tree catch fire. LEDs are also more durable and shock-resistant than other lights because they do not have moving parts, filaments or glass.

Incandescent holiday light strings dropped off at Home Depot will be separated into their material streams – glass, plastic, copper and steel – and then sent to recyclers to be made into new products.

Customers bringing in their incandescent Christmas lights will receive a $3 coupon for Home Accent-brand holiday lights, $4 for Martha Stewart Living or GE lights, or $5 for EcoSmart or Light Show lights. Each customer is limited to a total of five discounts.

Homepage image: Flickr/moonlightbulb