Mini LED lights from HolidayLEDs.com

Last year about this time, I wrote a GreenSpace column about how much energy regular incandescents holiday lights use, and how the new bulb technology using light-emitting diodes -- LEDs -- is a great way to reduce your lighting footprint. Indeed, the national Christmas tree in Washington, the tree in New York's Rockefeller Center, and the Times Square New Year's ball have all gone LED. Longwood Gardens has, too.

In my view, the lights do look slightly more metallic, less warm. But they're pretty all the same, and improving all the time. And the way some people light up this time of year -- and isn't it lovely! -- we could use the energy break. 

People complained about the cost, however. Why buy new when you can use old? At least two companies are offering rebates to customers who bring in their old strings of incandescents for recycling.

The e-commerce company, www.holidayLEDs.com , is offering 15 percent discount coupons for each string someone sends in. The company then sends the lights to a recycling facility in Michigan where they are first placed in a commercial shredder and then separated into the various components that make up the light sets including glass, metal, and plastic. The components are then recycled separately.

Last year, they recycled 5,000 pounds of lights. So this year, to make it even more eco-friendly, the company is encouraging participants to consolidate shipments with friends, neighbors, church groups, co-workers or other groups in an effort to maximize the environmental benefit of the program.HolidayLEDs.com

Information is here on the company website, but basically, send the lights to the company, Attn: Recycling Program, 118 Rosehill Dr. Suite 118, Jackson, MI 49202. And don't forget to include a clearly printed note with an email address (not a mailing address) of where the coupon should be sent.

Better yet, said Holiday's Philip C. Curtis, look for a local recycling effort. There may be others, but one I know of is Home Depot, which is offering people $3 coupons for every string of old lights, whether they work or not. 

LED lights consume about 90 percent less energy, which should help on the bill. This is another fun fact from Home Depot: Because the LED strings have superior connectivity, you can link up to 87 strands -- about a quarter mile -- and plug the end into one outlet without overloading most circuits.