Christmas light recycling program returns to OSF Saint Paul 

Staff
Posted 12/6/19

MENDOTA - OSF HealthCare Saint Paul in Mendota and OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa are pleased to be drop off locations for area residents’ non-working Christmas lights this year.

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Christmas light recycling program returns to OSF Saint Paul 

Posted

MENDOTA - OSF HealthCare Saint Paul in Mendota and OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa are pleased to be drop off locations for area residents’ non-working Christmas lights this year. In 2018, OSF HealthCare held a campaign among five hospitals to keep non-working Christmas lights out of the landfill and it was wildly successful, resulting in diverting one-and-a-half tons from the waste stream.

An estimated 25 percent increase in household waste is seen between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, adding an extra six tons of trash to landfills nationwide.

Steve Looney, Western Region Director of Facilities Operations for OSF HealthCare, predicted last year’s unwanted Christmas light drive would collect 500 pounds. The final collection total was slightly more than 3,000 pounds of broken lights. “Obviously, area residents found this a much-needed service and I’m just thrilled we could play a role in diverting so much waste from local landfills,” said Looney.

Eagle Recycling in Galva partnered to accept the lights which can be stripped down to raw materials including plastic, glass, and copper which can be reused to make new products.

Drop-off boxes are located in the main lobbies of OSF Saint Paul Medical Center in Mendota and OSF Saint Elizabeth in Ottawa. Any unwanted lights can be dropped off now through Jan. 10.