The sure-fire way of knowing if your thermostat has mercury is going to a hazardous waste center with details of the thermostat you wish to dispose of and inquiring if it has mercury. Mercury thermostats are now accepted through a province-wide recycling program called the Thermostat Recovery Program (TRP). Handling: Place the mercury thermostat you want to dispose of in a recommended dangerous waste container. Special instructions Put thermometer in a non-breakable sealed container (e.g. If you improperly dispose of products containing mercury, they may break and release mercury vapors. Lennox is a partner with organizations like the Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC), which facilitates the collection and proper disposal of mercury-containing thermostats. The most fool-proof way to find out what is inside your thermostat is … If your home thermostat has a digital readout, rest assured: It is new enough to be mercury-free. Click here to search for drop-off locations by zip codes. The first step is to determine if the old thermostat contains mercury. Anyone disposing of these devices needs to take care to check with the manufacturer if mercury is a component. You can also use Earth911's Recycling Locator to find a recycling center near you and www.thermostat-recycle.org for a list of state regulations and local collection centers for mercury-containing thermostats. Secure the bag and label it as directed by your local health or fire department. These cookies do not store any personal information. Handover: Take the container to the safe disposal center identified during Preparation. Look for the words “mercury-free” printed on the thermometer to determine if it’s toxic. You can also recycle mercury thermostats at an LA County-run, HHW S.A.F.E. plastic bleach bottle). Look for a clear glass vial that contains a silver substance. The best thing about it though is that allows the user to automatically adjust the temperature when certain thresholds are reached on both lower and higher temperature limits. Non-programmable thermostats that use a dial or lever to adjust temperature settings are likely to contain mercury. If that is not available, use a throwaway glass or plastic container. Possible Leakage Prevention: To prevent the mercury from spreading in case of a leakage, fill the space left inside the container with sand. The program is administered by the Heating, Refrigeration and Air conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI). In 2001 alone, the recycling company has collected more than 48,000 thermostats and processed more than 400 lb of mercury. Any manufacturer, retailer, wholesaler, or contractor found in violation of the provisions of this section is subject to fines up to $25,000 per thermostat that is disposed of incorrectly. If you replace a mercury thermostat with a digital one, you can track the savings you make with available smart trackers and calculators that are the preserve of digital thermostats. We accept both electronic and mercury-containing models, and ensure that all of the components are responsibly recycled. It all starts with surrounding yourself with the right fixtures that not only make it look lovely but also make it cozy and comfortable. The silver substance is mercury – an element that is toxic to people and the environment and must be disposed of properly. Recycle the entire thermostat at the nearest vendor that accepts thermostats. This also saves on energy bills and allows you to send the old thermostat to a recycling center instead of troubleshooting it. The reason is explained in the next step. However, if your thermostat has knobs or small bars you slide to adjust the temperature, it probably contains mercury. Some US states have banned new mercury thermostats from being installed but allow old ones to be recycled properly. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. A digital thermostat is environmentally friendly as it contains no mercury. After collecting a nominal fee for the initial collection container, Thermostat Recycling Corp. pays all shipping and recycling costs. In California, there are as many as 10.5 million mercury-containing thermostats still in use. Many people have a mercury thermometer in their home. In eight states, mercury thermostats are banned from … This is commonly found on the base of older thermostats, which is visible when the face of the thermostat has been removed. However, it is important that the mercury thermostat is disposed of properly. While thermostats that contain mercury are relatively rare, and usually found in industry rather than the home, it may not be obvious that they contain mercury. Disposing of Old Mercury Thermostats. Of course, an accurate thermostat will also lead to lower electricity costs as a result of the accurate response to temperature control requirements. You can use Earth 911 to locate a recycling center near you. Mercury can adversely affect a growing fetus leading to the damaged nervous system and visible symptoms include defective language and cognitive skills among others. Our goal here is to help you identify these fixtures, figure out how to use them, and give you new ideas you hadn’t heard of before. Just one mishandled thermostat can pollute 20 million gallons of water! It is noteworthy that indirect exposure to mercury such as through eating contaminated fish will still lead to fatal effects over time. It is advisable to carry out all the measures outlined above in one session so as to avoid any mistakes that may lead to exposure and contamination of the environment. If it has “mercury-free” printed on it, then you can throw the thermometer away along with your regular trash. Environmentally conscious temperature control is a worthy achievement for those who are able to recycle old mercury thermostats. How to Dispose of a Mercury Thermostat - YouTube If you are replacing a thermostat, check to see if the old thermostat has a mercury switch. There are currently no provincial recycling programs for these items. Alternatively, dab shaving cream onto a disposable paint brush and use the brush to pick up the mercury. This is because you can only recycle mercury and not dispose of it. Store and recycle them when normal operations resume. If you are unable to recycle due to the current health emergency, please do not dispose of your mercury thermostats in the trash. Call 911 if a thermometer, thermostat or wall-mounted blood pressure cuff is broken and mercury is released. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. It takes only one gram of liquid mercury to contaminate an eight-hectare lake. How to Dispose of Mercury Thermostats . It is therefore imperative that great care is exercised when replacing and disposing of a mercury thermostat. Incentives for recycling mercury thermostats. Mercury thermostats are now accepted through a province-wide recycling program called the Thermostat Recovery Program (TRP). Quantity counts. The newer digital and programmable thermostats are a great way to save energy and lower your heating bills. Check if your thermometer actually contains mercury. For information about these programs, contact your local officials to find out when and where a collection will be held in your area. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. This represents a 52% increase in thermostats, and a 57% increase in mercury collected during 2000, according to the company. The key reason many people want to replace a mercury thermostat is that newer models are more accurate and have user-adjustable options. Prepare: Ensure that you find a safe disposal center where you can take a mercury thermostat after you replace it. The Thermostat Recovery Program (TRP) is a stewardship program focused on recovering and recycling thermostats that are no longer in use. It is actually illegal in Connecticut to dispose of a Mercury Thermostat in solid waste bins. How to Recycling Items Containing Mercury. Wrap the sticky tape around your gloves finger, with the sticky side out, then pick up the contaminants and place the tap inside a zip-locked bag. Thermostats are commonly found in most homes and are also used for commercial applications as a means of regulating room temperature. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Due to its negative impacts on the environment, replacing your mercury thermostat with a digital one is better for the earth. Small beads of mercury or tiny pieces of broken glass can be picked up with sticky tape. The program has drop-off locations for individuals and organizations across Canada. As the name suggests, mercury thermostats contain mercury vapors that are toxic to the nervous, respiratory, and digestive systems, as well as eyes and skin. Thermostat Recycling Corporation, a non-profit organization that manages the collection and proper disposal of mercury-containing thermostats, has set up a simple system to provide businesses with FREE thermostat collection bins. A number of non-profit organizations supplement government efforts for safe disposal and recycling of mercury thermostat in hazardous waste management programs. If the thermostat that is in your home is 10-12 years old or older, it is probably a mercury thermostat. There must be space left inside the container after placing the mercury thermostat there. Clearly label the bottle "thermometer or mercury". You also rest easy knowing you do not have a device with hazardous materials around the home. How to Properly Dispose of a Mercury Thermostat. HVAC contractors are required by law to recycle all mercury thermostats they remove. This program is designed for wall-mounted mercury thermostats only. With each of these thermostats containing roughly 4 grams of mercury, their total volume equates to nearly 50 tons of a highly toxic substance. Mercury Thermostat Disposal Laws. Our goal is to keep mercury out of the waste stream in order to protect the environment. We maintain more than 3,400 collection locations nationwide that will recycle mercury thermostats at no cost to you. Recycling and disposal options Packaging Mercury for Storage and Transportation Place all mercury-containing products or containers of mercury inside a larger container with a tight fitting lid. Don't take apart the thermostat or remove the mercury ampoule. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Those who have replaced a mercury thermostat with a digital thermostat have hailed it as the best invention since fire. Newer models of thermometers contain alcohol or another liquid substance that simulates mercury. We accept mercury-containing, electronic and mechanical thermostats and ensure that all the components, especially … The mercury switches are removed from the thermostats and sent to a company that purifies the mercury for reuse. The program is administered by the Heating, Refrigeration and Air conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI). To date, the program has collected over 133,525 mercury thermostats, which is 529.10 kilograms of mercury. A good home is a happy place. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. In thirteen states, mercury thermostats cannot be thrown out with your regular trash. Mercury, however, is a very hazardous material that must be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner. If that is not available, use a throwaway glass or plastic container. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. If your General or HVAC-contracting business has seven or more technicians or serves rural communities, you are eligible to participate! Here are ways to follow when disposing of a mercury thermostat. Mercury-containing thermostats should not be disposed of in the regular trash. The photo at the right shows common thermostats and the glass ampoule under the cover which contains the mercury. Join us in our noble quest to turning every house into a truly cozy home. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. While mercury isn’t recyclable, many of these products are. TRP is fully administered and managed by the Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada. Label the container as "thermostat" or "mercury" with a permanent marker. What Video Doorbells Work With Apple Homekit. Handling: Place the mercury thermostat you want to dispose of in a recommended dangerous waste container. Disposal & Recycling of Mercury-Containing Thermostats. By clicking âAcceptâ, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Package thermostat in a puncture-resistant, non-breakable, sealed container like a yogurt or margine tub. You can recycle your old mercury thermostats at the following locations: Take to a local participating program take-back wholesales. collection center. There must be space left inside the container after placing the mercury thermostat there. This program ensures that mercury containing thermostats can be recycled free of charge a number of locations in communities across the province. These vapors are harmful to your health and the environment. The Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) is a non-profit stewardship organization that facilitates and manages the collection and proper disposal of mercury-containing thermostats. Many household products contain mercury, from CFLs to button batteries to some thermometers. Free Recycling for Contractors! Call 911 if a thermometer, thermostat, or wall-mounted blood pressure cuff is broken and mercury is released. Thermostat Recovery Program (TRP) is an industry funded product stewardship program focused on recovering and recycling end-of-life thermostats. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Here are the 12 states* in which it is illegal to dispose of a mercury thermostat other than by recycling them: California; Iowa; Illinois; Maine; Massachusetts; Minnesota; New York; New Hampshire; Oregon; Rhode Island; Pennsylvania; Vermont * As of the first of July 2014 it will also be illegal to dispose of them in Connecticut. There is no charge for this service. However, it is fairly easy to tell if your thermostat has mercury by looking for information on its label like âcontains mercuryâ or âHgâ (which is the chemical symbol for mercury). TRP encourages the residential and commercial installation of energy-efficient programmable thermostats and responsibly recovers and recycles older mercury-containing thermostats. To locate the nearest participating depot or retailer, call the RCBC Recycling Hotline or visit the RCBC Recyclepedia or the Thermostat Recovery Program (TRP) website. Mercury-containing thermostats should not be disposed of in the regular trash. Place all broken objects on a paper towel. If there are any broken pieces of glass or sharp objects, pick them up with care. If it is, proper disposal needs to be arranged. Place kitty litter or oil-absorbent matter around the product to protect it from breaking or sudden shocks. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. To find out local options for disposing of these items, call the RCBC Recycling Hotline. You could also take off the cover and look for a small glass container with a silvery liquid inside it. The reason is explained in the next step. This is most likely a government-approved hazardous waste disposal center. Though you might not have any mercury thermometers in your home, chances are good you have other items that contain mercury, such as fluorescent or other mercury-containing light bulbs, or mercury-containing thermostats. To check your thermostat, gently remove the cover and inspect the interior of a small ampule containing mercury. You may write âHazardous Waste â Mercury Insideâ. To find a drop-off site in the U.S., click here; in Canada, click here. To prevent mercury pollution, recycle your mercury thermostats. Recycling mercury thermostats can be expensive because they are considered hazardous waste; the expense can lead to their illegal disposal, or lack of disposal. There is a thermostat recovery program that collects end of life mercury-containing thermostats. For example, some new models allow the user to connect to a smartphone and change settings from the more user-friendly mobile phone interface. Safety Tag: Â Clearly mark the container with a description of its contents. Most heating and cooling equipment suppliers in King County collect mercury thermostats for recycling. RCBC Smartphone APPFinding your closest recycling location is now at the tips of your fingers with the new BC Recyclepedia Mobile App - Learn More, Mercury thermostats are now accepted through a province-wide recycling program called the, © Copyright 2020 Recycling Council of British Columbia, Membership Requirement for Referral Services FAQs, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programs, Electronic Products Recycling Association. Properly dispose of a mercury thermometer or any used mercury-containing items by following the steps below. Fold the paper towel and place in a zip locking bag. 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