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Donate your Christmas lights to Goodwill instead of throwing them away

With the holidays over, you're probably ready to throw out those lights. But instead, Goodwill could recycle them for you!

LITTLE ROCK, Ark — On top of resolutions for the new year, many are also probably starting to take down their Christmas decorations.

Instead of throwing away those holiday lights that don't work anymore, Goodwill wants to take them off your hands.

The store wants to prevent them from ending up in landfills.

A spokesperson for Goodwill said because the lights are made up of copper and wire, it takes thousands of years to decompose and it leaches chemicals into the land.

Last year, Goodwill donated over 40,000 pounds of it.

Once the lights are donated, a metal recycler will pick them up to turn them into something new.

"They use the plastic from the Christmas lights to add plastic to maybe the soles of shoes or it goes into consumer products. So, they get a second life instead of just ending up in the landfill," explained Debra, a spokesperson for the company.

You can drop off your Christmas lights at any Goodwill location during business hours to be recycled.

Editor's Note: The video below is about Goodwill Industries of Arkansas helping with mental health first aid.

RELATED: Goodwill Industries of Arkansas helping other companies with mental health first aid

RELATED: Arkansas Goodwill hoping to find owners of priceless donated family photos

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