Responsible disposition of used Christmas lights

It's an annual dilemma. The Three Kings have come and gone and the tree is finally down -- wait a minute... your Christmas decorations are still up? Better have them down, at the latest, by Candlemas (a/k/a the Feast of the Presentation or, more popularly, Groundhog's Day) or even the neighbors that are still talking to you will sign the petitions....

**Restarting.**

It's an annual dilemma. The Three Kings have come and gone and the tree is finally down and the decorations returned to the attic or to the garage -- all of them, that is, but the string or two of lights that failed when the decorations were taken out of storage or somewhere else along the way. Hopefully not just after you finished intertwining the 100 bulb light string into the tree branches -- not with the kids or grandkids listening in --

Anyway, you've got these lights that don't work any longer. And you don't want to consign them to a landfill. Is there any place where the dead lights can be taken?

Evanston residents can recycle holiday lights through January 31 at three different locations (click here for details).

Residents of the western suburbs can click here for locations (some locations may have already stopped accepting dead light strings, so click or call before showing up).

The Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) also has a long list of locations where used lights may be dropped off. Check the dates and hours for each location; these vary widely. Garland, live greens, wreaths or other non-recyclables are not accepted in this program. Elgin Recycling is processing the material.

And, as far as I have been able to determine, Chicago residents, like me, are reduced to sneaking into an adjacent suburb. Hopefully, I won't get carded....