Program FAQs

What is the purpose of the Program?

The goal of the program is to recycle every end-of-use mercury-containing thermostat.

What is the Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC)?

TRC is a not-for-profit corporation voluntarily founded by thermostat manufacturers Honeywell, White-Rodgers, and General Electric for the purpose of collecting and properly disposing mercury-containing thermostats.  TRC now represents nearly 30 manufacturers that historically distributed mercury-containing thermostats in the US.  TRC’s commitment to collect and properly dispose mercury-containing thermostats reflects its member’s commitment to keep these thermostats out of solid waste.

What should I do?

Whenever you replace a mercury-containing thermostat, keep the old one and return it to a participating TRC collection location.  Put the waste thermostat in the collection container provided by TRC.

What does it cost?

Beyond a reasonable one-time participation fee for collection locations TRC assumes all costs to ship and process mercury-containing thermostats collected through the program.  There are absolutely no fees for contractors or homeowners to discard thermostats in TRC recycling containers.

Then who pays for the program?

Members of TRC fund the program through annual participation fees.  TRC assesses fees on a proportional bas and are based on the prior year’s collections of the members’ brand thermostats.

What thermostats can be recycled?

All brands of mercury-containing thermostats are accepted by the program.

Who’s eligible to participate as a collection location?

Heating and air conditioning (HVAC) wholesalers, retailers who sell thermostats or household hazardous waste collection program in the US are eligible to participate as collection locations.  HVAC contracting businesses with more than seven technicians or serving rural communities can also participate as collection locations.  

Where do I drop-off mercury-containing thermostats?

TRC has over 3,400 collection containers in 47 states and the number keeps growing.  You can search the list of TRC locations on this site.  If your HVAC wholesaler, thermostat retailer or local hazardous waste program isn’t participating, ask them to start now.