ST. PAUL, Minn.—If you're one of many Minnesotans replacing traditional holiday lights with energy-efficient LEDs and wondering what to do with all those old jumbled cords, the answer might be at your local hardware store.

The Recycling Association of Minnesota is partnering with hardware stores and other businesses throughout the state to host drop-off sites for old holiday lights.

Brita Sailer, the association's co-director, told Minnesota Public Radio ( that materials usually found in older lights don't belong in the garbage.

"We want to make sure that we're not throwing copper, we're not throwing glass, we're not throwing recyclable items in landfills," Sailer said. "We're at a time when we should really be focusing on retaining those resources as our resources become more and more dear."


The materials recycled raise enough money to pay about 200 people to separate bulbs from electrical cords at several vocational centers around the state.



Full list of recycling sites:


Information from: Minnesota Public Radio News,