Anyone been told you can't sell Christmas lights to a yard yet?

**newattitude** · 10-23-2015, 09:58 AM

Its that time of year where you start finding them thrown out but, we got an email the other day saying the newer lights are copper coated AL and have no value.

Well, we don't have the time to check every strand beyond eyeballing so I guess we are going to just not take them any more.

How you tell is, the newer lights have fewer strands braided together and if you strip off some of the coating and set a lighter to it the CU coating will burn off and you can then see the SL underneath.

I tested a strand out of our box and sure enough you can see it but boy, those CU wires are so tiny (like hairs) you really have to squint to tell!

I'm sure that email went out to all the yards in our vicinity that the buyer buys from but was just wondering if anyone else had run into this as of yet.

**Riversedge** · 10-23-2015, 10:12 AM

Nope if you were in KC we buy them all day everyday!

**Sirscrapalot** · 10-23-2015, 11:23 AM

Mine still take them..but I do live on a sandbar so we're a bit slower then the rest of the country.

Sirscrapalot - deck the halls with empty beer cans..

**HT1** · 10-23-2015, 03:34 PM

I've specifically been told no "rope lights" but that is sort of obvious as the plastic is 95% of the weight before you even get to insulation

**hobo finds** · 10-23-2015, 08:12 PM

SO can they take them in with the shred? Rope lights included in this question....

**miked** · 10-23-2015, 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by Sirscrapalot

Mine still take them..but I do live on a sandbar so we're a bit slower then the rest of the country.

Sirscrapalot - deck the halls with empty beer cans..

Sure blame it on the sand bar, Mike (same here and not on a sand bar)

**Sirscrapalot** · 10-23-2015, 08:57 PM

Emphasis on Bar Mike.

You know us beach folk move at slower pace then the rest of the Country.

An I should I add, that I don't take in boxes of those lights. An I remove the bulbs. Easy an something to do on a rainy day or when I have nothing better to do.

Bigger areas probably see more of the lights then mine does.

I'd say I'd ask next time i hit the yard, but I don't want to give them any ideas. lol.

Sirscrapalot - Snap into a SLIM JIM! Dig it! - Macho Man Randy Savage.

**Mudlucky** · 10-23-2015, 09:14 PM

I'm buying, my buyers are buying...actually, I've had at least one or two emails requesting Christmas lights.

**hobo finds** · 10-23-2015, 09:26 PM

**scrapbabe97** · 10-23-2015, 10:22 PM

Here in Maine you can sell them for low grade wire but catch this, it would have to be the older ones that were made out of pure coper wire inside. If they are the new LED ones they run on aluminum wire ones are not bought as low grade wire you would have to put them in the light iron pile or shred.

**HT1** · 10-24-2015, 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by hobo finds

SO can they take them in with the shred? Rope lights included in this question....

ask 25 yards you will get 12.5 different answers.
I don't want rope lights at all..
and no you cannot put them in my dumpster

**brassbuster** · 10-25-2015, 05:10 AM

Nice tip newattitude we will be checking them now as we buy hundred's of pound's a week and my exporter's always want Christmas lights. And here's my tip to this thread, we have found that almost all of the newer battery jumper cable's will be alum. wire also.

**missouri** · 01-31-2016, 10:12 PM

Just wanted to bump this thread to the top . It is Christmas light season . One of my buyers told me to watch out for them . His buyer want copper not aluminum Christmas lights.

**eesakiwi** · 02-01-2016, 04:54 AM

There's a good story on the net about recycling Christmas tree lights in China.
They show a water shaker table in the video for getting the Copper wire out of the plastic.

You will have to search for it on Google, easy to find, my tablets playing up so it won't let me ATM.

**bullion** · 02-01-2016, 02:38 PM

The local yard will take them but you have to cut off all the sockets.

**Daak85** · 02-02-2016, 10:54 PM

I remove the brass from the plug in part and throw the whole line with lights and all into a tub. My yard takes it all except rope lights. Just brought in 120lbs. of lights last week.

Anyone been told you can't sell Christmas lights to a yard yet?

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