How Kirkwood Residents Can Keep Holiday Lights Out of Landfills

Shoppers can donate their used and/or unworkable holiday lights at Walmart stores from Saturday, Nov. 17 through Sunday, Dec. 30.

The retailer is once again partnering with Stlouisgreen.com for the Holiday Light Recycling Drive. This year, 98 stores in Missouri and the Metro East area of Illinois are participating in the drive. Recycling bins will be located in the seasonal section of Walmart stores. For a list of participating stores, visit: www.walmartstlouis.com. Stlouisgreen.com, which is a nonprofit organization that promotes sustainability, is collecting the lights. They will be recycled and sent back to manufacturers to be used in new products.

“Last year we collected 64,000 pounds of lights, enough lights to string from St. Louis to Kansas City and back,” said Glenda Fleming Willis, regional general manager for Walmart. “This year, with nearly double the number of Walmart stores than last year, we hope to collect much more.”

Earlier this year, the Holiday Light Recycling Drive received two statewide awards. The Missouri Recycling Association honored both Walmart and Stlouisgreen.com with its outstanding collection program award. In addition, the Missouri Waste Control Coalition gave the retailer and nonprofit organization its outstanding achievement award in the category of environmental stewardship.

This year’s holiday light recycling drive will once again not only protect the environment by keeping lights out of landfills, but it will also help feed the hungry. A portion of the proceeds from the drive will go to Operation Food Search, a St. Louis area food bank.

For more information on Walmart and sustainability, visit: http://walmartstores.com/sustainability.

Information provided by Walmart.