Taken the tree down yet? Lakeville recycling plant seeks your holiday decor
LAKEVILLE, Minn. — Have you taken down the Christmas tree yet? If not, a local recycling plant is looking for your help.
"We buy all sorts of different grades of coppers, brasses, aluminum, stainless steel," CW Metals Account Executive Dan Walsh said.
CW Metals specializes in recycling all things metal, but this year, they're also accepting donations in holiday décor.
"Copper is an incredibly in-demand material," Walsh said.
The company is asking anyone to donate new, used or broken holiday lights in order to fight hunger.
"They're very recyclable and, let's be honest, they don't work all of the time," Walsh said.
The lights will find new life, but will help support life too.
"Any light that goes into your trash bin will end up in a landfill, most likely to never be recovered again," Walsh said.
All donation proceeds will go towards The Open Door, a local non-profit working to end hunger. In its first year of the Holiday Lights For Hunger campaign, Walsh hopes to generate $10,000.
"We feel like it will be very impactful going forward," Walsh said. "Realistically, the sky is the limit."
The Open Door executive director Jason Viana agrees. He says that money will fun two weeks worth of food purchases.
"That's gonna helps thousands of families and help us do a job, hopefully providing something that we don't always have access to," he said.
It's an impact that stresses far beyond the landfill.
"Our organization last year rescued almost 1.5 million pounds of food that would have gone to the landfill. And we were able to preserve what was available and get it directly in the hands of folks that needed it," Viana said. "So, when you think about a natural connection, recycling Christmas lights, and being able to extend the life of food, it's a natural fit of a partnership."
There are a total of 15 collection sites, including CW Metals two locations in Lakeville and Monticello. For a full list of locations, click here.