Monroe County, Key West Partner With Home Depot for Light Recycling Program

Monroe County and the City of Key West announced a joint initiative on November 21, 2025 offering seasonal drop off collection bins at Home Depot stores in Marathon and Key West for the disposal of old or broken holiday lights. The program accepts string lights, rope lights and holiday light strands, items officials emphasized should not be placed in curbside recycling. The collection runs through January 15 and the county and city urged residents to take advantage of the free service.

The deployment of collection bins at two retail locations provides a readily accessible option for households disposing of tangled or nonfunctional holiday lighting. By diverting these materials from trash and curbside recycling streams, the program is intended to reduce landfill inputs and to prevent plastic and metal contamination that can undermine single stream recycling processes. For residents, the program removes a frequently confusing disposal choice and offers a no cost option during the peak season for light replacement.

This local partnership between municipal government and a national retailer illustrates how cities and counties can expand waste management services without immediate capital investment in new facilities. Placing collection infrastructure at existing retail sites leverages foot traffic and store access, while concentrating items that require specialized recycling processing. The program also serves as a modest test case for larger scale diversion efforts within Monroe County, and could inform future decisions about permanent collection sites, contractor agreements and recycling targets.

For household budgets and municipal operations the program can have tangible effects. Properly recycling light strands recovers materials such as copper and plastic while avoiding the added expense and environmental impact of landfill disposal. Residents who participate by using the bins reduce the volume of problematic items entering curbside recycling and municipal waste systems, which can ease operational burdens during the busy holiday season.

Monroe County and Key West framed the effort as a simple way residents can reduce waste, and the initiative underscores the role of local government in providing practical services that support broader environmental goals. The seasonal collection will remain open through January 15, 2026, and residents seeking additional information should consult county communications for any updates on locations, accepted items and future recycling programs.