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Safe Mercury Thermostat Disposal for HHW Centers

Are you a California HHW Center?

Partner with us to become a mercury thermostat safe disposal partner!

Join over 60 California HHW centers that are helping to prevent mercury contamination by acting as Thermostat Care collection partners for out of use mercury-containing thermostats.

By being a partner:

  • You save money by not needing to pay a hazardous waste contractor to dispose of mercury thermostats.
  • The residents and service technicians in your community will receive $30 per mercury thermostat through our incentive form, which encourages them to conduct responsible disposal and helps prevent mercury from impacting environmental and public health in your area.
  • Your collection container and its shipping back to our partner facility are free of charge.

step 1:

Order a Container

Order a mercury thermostat collection bin or pail from us. Collection pails can hold up to 9 thermostats, while bins are larger and can contain around 33 thermostats. Submit a bin or pail request form to the Thermostat Care team by completing a form and emailing it to ContainerRequests@ThermostatCare.org.

Small Pail Order Form
Large Bin Order Form

What Happens Next?

  1. The Thermostat Care team processes the request and coordinates with our partner facility to ship your bin or pail to your location.
  2. The requested bin or pail, along with related materials (like guidelines on how to properly package mercury thermostats and care for the bin or pail) will be sent to your location. Please note that the actual bin or pail will have TRC (Thermostat Recycling Corporation) branding, but the container is still a part of the Thermostat Care program. If you do not receive your container within 1 month, please contact Info@thermostatcare.org to inquire about the status of your container. Please only accept intact, unbroken thermostats.
  3. If you have any questions during the accumulation period, please contact Info@thermostatcare.org.

step 2:

Collect Thermostats

Once you’ve received your collection container, cut the zip tie and open the container to verify that the relevant materials are included. Make sure the container is placed in an area accessible to all employees but out of direct reach from the public.

Ensure that mercury thermostats are individually placed and sealed in provided plastic bags. DO NOT remove the mercury ampule from the thermostat. Broken thermostats will not be accepted at drop-off locations.

Steps to Collecting Mercury Thermostats:

  1. Ensure all residents and service technicians (not contractors) are filling out a rebate form prior to handing off the mercury thermostat to participate in the $30 per mercury thermostat mail-in rebate. If they complete an incentive form, place it inside of a provided plastic bag with the mercury thermostat(s) to keep those items together for processing. Provide the yellow carbon-backed version of the rebate form to them as a copy or receipt.
  2. When a mercury thermostat is dropped off in your container, record relevant information in the mercury collection log (included in our Universal Waste Regulation training material [available in English and Spanish], which also comes with each new container sent to your location). This tracking log needs to be kept at your location and covers the collection records spanning three years. When it’s the first time a mercury thermostat is collected for this current container, you must place the date it was dropped off on the accumulation date sticker provided – this is the start of your “accumulation period” for that container.

Step 3

Spread the Word

Let your community know that residents and service technicians can receive a $30 mail-in rebate per mercury thermostat at your location! Contact Info@thermostatcare.org if you’re interested in an a-frame or metal sign at your facility to communicate this opportunity or you want to receive a media toolkit with prepared content for social media posts, your website, and e-newsletters.

step 4

Schedule a Pickup

Once the container is full, or 1 year after receiving your first thermostat (whichever comes first), schedule a FedEx Ground pickup to return the container free of charge. Your container was shipped with the pre-paid label already inside. If you misplaced the label, contact info@thermostatcare.org for a replacement. 

To schedule: Visit the FedEx website section to “Schedule a Ground Return Package Pickup” (fedex.com/grd/rpp/ShowRPP.do) or call FedEx customer service to schedule a pickup at 1 (800) 463-3339 

  • If calling, the call will be automated, then it will transfer to a customer service representative.
  • Schedule the pickup with “FedEx Ground” and not “FedEx Express” (our labels are with “Ground”).

When the FedEx carrier picks up your container, make sure you receive a shipping receipt from them, which will have information about the container contents. To follow program expectations, you must keep a record at your location about the shipments for at least three years.

Once a pickup order is received by our processing partner (Veolia), a replacement container will be sent back. If you have any questions about the arrival of your replacement container or would like to order a small pail to have on-hand for mercury thermostat collection while your container is being processed, please contact Info@ThermostatCare.org. 

Free Mercury Thermostat Collection Promotion (Also Available for Non-Partner Locations)

We would like to help promote any upcoming special collection event or collection period that accepts mercury thermostats (whether you have a Thermostat Care collection container or not). In the past, we have:

  • Designed/printed signage (ex: “Drop off your mercury thermostat here”)
  • Run targeted digital ad campaigns promoting the event or disposal opportunity at your location
  • Attended collection events in person, assisting anyone who wants to also drop off a $30 incentive form with their mercury thermostat

Resources

The following downloadable materials are available to help share more information about safe, proper mercury thermostat disposal:

Commonly Asked Questions

What thermostats do we accept?

We accept all brands of wall-mount, mercury-containing thermostats. The thermostat must be whole and not leaking. Having the thermostat cover isn’t necessary. We do not collect or process any other mercury-containing products.

How do individuals receive the $30 mail-in rebate?

Individuals bringing in their mercury thermostats should have the thermostats sealed in a sealable, clear plastic bag with their filled-out rebate form in the same plastic bag. If they do not have a rebate form, you may provide them with a rebate form to fill out at the time they bring in their mercury thermostat. Once they fill out the rebate form, seal it in the clear plastic bag along with the thermostat and place it in the collection container.

Download and print the rebate form

What are the health risks of being exposed to mercury?

Mercury is toxic and exposure even in small amounts may cause serious health problems. Breathing mercury vapors can harm the nervous system, lungs and kidneys. Mercury vapors can also pass easily from the lungs to the bloodstream. Children under 14 are more sensitive to mercury than adults because of their developing brains and nervous systems – and may be irreversibly damaged by it. Mothers who are exposed to mercury and breast-feed may also expose their infant children through their milk.

Any questions? Email Info@ThermostatCare.org

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