Recycling
💡String Light Recycling — Drop off broken holiday lights at Fairfax Ace Hardware or City Hall through Valentine's Day.
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Recycling is an everyday activity that can fight climate change, preserve natural resources, conserve energy, and save money. But did you know that recycling the wrong way can be harmful to the recycling economy and potentially dangerous to recycling workers? Know before you throw!
Know Before You Throw
Recycling right means more of our materials are recovered and able to be recycled. Take a behind-the-scenes look at how your recyclables are processed at a recycling facility, showing the journey from curbside cart to sorting conveyor — giving you a firsthand view of the technology and people working to turn your recycled materials into new products.
Keep Your Season Bright - Recycle Your String Lights
Drop off broken or unwanted string lights at Fairfax Ace Hardware, Fairfax City Hall or the Old Town Alexandria Ace Hardware location from Thanksgiving through Valentine's Day.
Holiday lights should never go in residential recycling bins. The tangled wires jam sorting machinery and cause costly damage. This program sends lights to a scrap-metal facility where glass, plastic, copper and metals are properly separated and recycled.
Drop-off Locations
Fairfax Ace Hardware, 10310-B Main St., Fairfax
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. | Saturday: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. | Sunday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Fairfax City Hall, 10455 Armstrong St., Fairfax
Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., excluding holidays
Old Town Alexandria, 809 S. Washington St., Alexandria
Monday-Saturday: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. | Sunday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
What's Accepted
All string lights, including LEDs, icicle lights, multicolored lights, rope lights and solar-powered lights. Remove packaging and decorations first. Only string lights are accepted.
Working lights? Consider donating them instead.
Hours may vary around holidays.