December turns homes into landmarks; twinkling bulbs stretched between roof and tree. But underlying this yearly celebration of holiday light installation is an environmental impact many seldom give any thought. Turn on the switch to show what is happening behind the façade. Read this!
Ever see the glow of neighborhoods seen from thousands of feet above a night flight? Those sparkling outlines don’t just show up. Holiday lights are thought to require approximately 6.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity only in the United States annually. That amazing figure is about comparable to the annual electrical consumption of almost 800,000 typical houses. That is a sleighload of electricity. And with most of the electricity still derived from fossil fuels, the carbon emissions from these seasonal shows mount rapidly.
Positively, LEDs have spurred an energy-saving revolution. For the same glittering effect, homes can use up to 80% less electricity by replacing aging incandescent bulbs with LEDs. Professional installers have jumped onboard, usually suggesting LED choices that cut the juice and last years longer. Still, not all decorators choose the greener bulbs, which results in a lot of waste in both bulb lifetime and energy.
Professional setups put logistics front and first using ladders, extension cords, large trucks loaded with reels of wiring. The environmental effect goes beyond just consumption of electricity. Many installers go miles on the road and occasionally visit dozens of houses a day. Consider idle vans, pollution, and additional packaging from all those new light strings. More greenhouse gases can be produced even from the way exhibit objects are kept and maintained throughout the year.
Then there is disposal, far from a glittering finish. Broken wires and damaged lights fly every year. Older types of holiday lights in particular include glass, plastic, and occasionally traces of lead—a combination that does not fit well in landfills. Not everyone is aware that these strings are accepted by a small number of recycling programs.
