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Mercury Thermostat Collection and Recycling
Thermostat Manufacturer Requirements
By January 1, 2011, thermostat manufacturers must establish and maintain a
program for collection, transportation and proper management of out-of-service
mercury thermostats. Most thermostat manufacturers support the Thermostat
Recycling Corporation (TRC), which is a industry-sponsored non-profit
organization originally established by General Electric, Honeywell and White-Rodgers.
TRC facilitates the collection of all brands of used, wall-mounted mercury-switch
thermostats so that mercury can be separated and recycled. A list of
participating manufacturers as well as collection locations are available on
the TRC website.
Specific requirements for thermostat manufacturers are:
- January 1, 2011 – Contact wholesalers and offer them a collection
container.
- January 1, 2011 – Make collection containers available to all qualified
contractors, wholesalers, retailers and qualified local government authorities.
- Handle and manage out-of-service mercury thermostats as universal
waste.
- Manufacturers cannot impose any fees to participants, except for a one-time
start-up fee for each collection bin not to exceed $75.
- Between January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013, manufacturers must
conduct education and outreach that, at a minimum, includes the following
activities:
- Create a public service announcement and make available to the Illinois
EPA for use to promote collection and recycling programs for mercury-switch
thermostats.
- Establish and maintain a website for dissemination of educational materials
that will promote the collection of out-of-service mercury thermostats.
- Contact wholesalers at least once a year to encourage their support
and participation in educating customers on importance of and statutory
requirements for collecting out-of-service mercury-switch thermostats.
- Develop and implement strategies to encourage participating thermostat
retailers to educate their customers on the importance of and opportunities
for collecting and recycling out-of-service mercury thermostats.
- Create and maintain a web-based program that allows contractors and
consumers to identify collection sites by zip code areas.
- Prepare and mailing to contractor associations a postcard or other
notice that provides information on the collection program for out-of-service
mercury thermostats.
- Develop informational articles, press releases and news stories, pertaining
to the importance of an opportunities for collecting and recycling out-of-service
mercury thermostats and distribute those materials to trade publications,
local media and stakeholder groups.
- January 1, 2011 – Develop and update as necessary educational
and other outreach materials for distribution to contractors, contractor
associations and consumers. The materials shall be made available for
use by participating thermostat wholesalers, retailers, contractors and
qualified local government authorities. Materials must include:
- Signage, such as posters and cling signage, that can prominently displayed
to promote the collection of out-of-service mercury thermostats to contractors
and consumers.
- Written materials or templates of written materials for reproduction
by thermostat wholesalers and retailers to be provided to consumers at
the point of purchase or delivery of a thermostat. Materials must include
information on the importance of properly managing out-of-service mercury
thermostats and opportunities for the collection of those thermostats.
- Propose and submit to the IL EPA revisions to the collection program if
collection goals are not met in 2013, 2015, or 2017. Provide an opportunity
for the IL EPA and other stakeholders to offer feedback and suggestions on
the collection program.
- Submit mid-term reports to the IL EPA by September 1st of every year. Mid-term
reports must include
- Number of mercury thermostats collected.
- Listing of all collection sites in Illinois.
- Submit annual reports to the Illinois EPA by April 1st of every year, beginning
in 2012. Annual reports must include
- Number of mercury thermostats collected during the previous calendar
year.
- Estimated total amount of mercury collected during the previous calendar
year.
- Evaluation of the effectiveness of the collection program
- Listing of all wholesalers, contractors, local government authorities,
and retailers participating in the program and number of thermostats
returned by each.
- Accounting of administrative costs.
- Description of educational outreach conducted.
- Examples of outreach and educational materials use during the previous
calendar year.
- Internet website address or addresses where the annual report may be
viewed online.
- Description of how out-of-service thermostats were managed.
- Modifications being made to the collection program.
- Collection program contact person with contact information.
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