Thermostat Recycling Corp.’s Collections Decrease as Fewer Mercury-Containing Thermostats Remain

Thermostat Recycling Corp. collected 28% fewer pounds of mercury from thermostats in 2022 when compared with 2021. As a result, it collected 673.83 pounds of mercury in 2022, compared with 936.59 pounds in 2021.

There were 73,152 mercury-containing thermostat units collected and recycled in 2022 compared with 93,045 in 2021, a decrease of about 21%.

“We should not be alarmed by the decrease in the collection of pounds or units,” said Danielle Myers, operations & compliance manager, TRC. “This overall decrease is a sign that we are fulfilling our mandate and mission of being effective in retrieving and recycling mercury-containing thermostats. For every unit we collect, there is one less mercury thermostat in the nation since they are no longer produced.”

The Top 3 states in the United States for recycling thermostats were California with 70.25 pounds, Minnesota with 60.1 pounds, and Massachusetts with 57.14 pounds. Mercury-containing thermostat collections peaked in 2014 with 203,346 units.

TRC’s Top 10 recycling partners by pounds of mercury in 2022 are:

Account                                                                               Pounds