The Massachusetts General Court has passed a new law requiring that any person and/or contractor replacing a thermostat containing mercury to take it to an appropriate collection site to be recycled.
The new law, which was passed to prevent mercury poisoning and the spread of mercury in the environment, also requires any HVAC wholesale distributor that sells or distributes thermostats to participate as a collection site to recycle thermostats containing mercury.
The new law has been met with both support and criticism. It has received support from industry and environmental groups such as the Thermostat Recycling Corporation and Mill City Environmental. Meanwhile the main criticism of the new law has been in its strength. It has been labelled as “a weak bill” in comparison to previous mercury recycling laws and laws in neighbouring states.
The recycling program will be funded by fees collected from thermostat and light bulb manufacturers. The new law will come into effect on October 30, between now and then, the Thermostat Recycling Corporation will be providing HVAC equipment distributors and contractors with a free thermostat recycling container.
You can find more information on Massachusetts mercury management laws and regulations here. You can also find information on disposing Mercury safely in Australia here.
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