Schools
Got Old Lights? Still Time to Recycle For A Good Cause
There's still time to drop off holiday lights at various Creve Coeur locations as part of an annual drive sponsored by St.Louis Green and Operation Food Search.
students and faculty have joined forces with two local non-profit organizations and several other local sponsors in a goal that will help them save the environment and feed the hungry at the same time.
The students and faculty are participating in the Holiday Light Recycling Drive, sponsored by St. Louis Green and Operation Food Search in an effort to collect and recycle 50,000 pounds of unwanted or broken holiday lights.
Erik Lueders, a teacher at , said the drive began on Nov. 15 after America Recycles Day, and that “most all of Parkway’s 33 buildings are participating,” including Northeast Middle. The drive ends January 31.
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“It's an excellent program in which old, burned out holiday light strands can be recycled,” Lueders said. “Proceeds from the drive will in part be used to fill a local food bank to help feed the hungry.”
Lueders said that students can participate by bringing in old lights from home to be recycled, and that many Parkway schools have been actively notifying parents about the opportunity to get rid of their old lights responsibly.
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“Parkway Northeast Middle has used many different media options to notify their community including notifications in electronic newsletters, Facebook notifications, and Twitter notifications,” he said. “Historically, Northeast Middle has been one of the better Parkway schools in terms of recycling and we are looking forward to seeing how they finish.”
He added that the district will present an award to the school that collects the highest number of lights (by weight) per capita, including students and faculty.
“This drive is an excellent opportunity for community members to dispose of their old lights, keep materials out of a landfill, and provide some much needed proceeds to help feed the hungry,” Lueders said. “It's a win, win, win!”
Lights can also be donated at several other sponsor locations, including , and Duke Realty's Westview office at 12312 Olive Boulevard, in Creve Coeur.
Learn more about the Holiday Light Recycling Drive at the StLouisGreen.com.