TERRA Calls Out Retailers for Holiday E‑Waste

This year, more than 150 million string lights will be sold this holiday season. America’s top retailers offer no recycling options for broken and used lights.

NASHVILLE, TN, UNITED STATES, October 21, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As consumers across the country have already begun preparations for the 2025 holiday season, TERRA (The Electronics Reuse & Recycling Alliance) is raising serious concerns about the environmental neglect of America’s top retailers for failing to provide any means for recycling holiday string lights.

According to internal market estimates, more than 150 million new string lights will be sold this holiday season. America’s top retailers offer no national take‑back option for broken and used lights that are inevitably discarded.

“When millions of light strings go dark after the season, where will they go? Most will end up in landfill,” said Steven Napoli, President & CEO of TERRA. “America’s retail giants are perfectly positioned to lead by example, but they refuse to act. This inaction speaks volumes about their sustainability commitment.”

Holiday string lights are part of the growing electronics waste (e-waste) stream, and their plastic insulation, copper wiring, solder joints, and electronic controllers all pose recycling challenges.

E-Waste is the fastest growing solid waste stream in the world with millions of electrical and electronic devices thrown away annually and is responsible for 70 percent of the toxins entering the waste stream and illegal dump sites.

“TERRA is prepared to help deploy a certified, safe, and cost‑effective light‑string recycling initiative,” Napoli added. “But until they step up, America’s retailers will remain part of the problem, not the solution.”

TERRA encourages holiday shoppers and environmental advocates to request that retailers install seasonal e‑waste drop boxes specifically for holiday lighting — ideally inside stores, near returns or customer service desks.

Steven Napoli
TERRA
+1 615-873-0370
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