TRC Blog

About That Book You Were Going to Write

Behind the scenes thinking on TRC's Ryan Kiscaden's new book.

TRC Recycles 140,993 Mercury Containing Thermostats

Thermostat Recycling Corporation announces 2018 thermostat collection results.

TRC’s Executive Director Resigns

I am announcing the resignation of Thermostat Recycling Corporation’s Executive Director, Ryan Kiscaden, effective March 5th, 2019.  Ryan is leaving TRC to assume a marketing leadership role with a HVACR manufacturer.

How To Stay Warm Through A Cold Wave

Many parts of the country are experiencing a severe cold wave. Cities like Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis and other Midwestern cities are colder than Siberia and Antarctica with temperatures below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. The Northeast may not be quite as cold, but it is still below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit). Fort Washington will experience temperatures in the teens on this last day of January.

With temperatures like this, it’s a no brainer that everyone wants to stay inside where it’s warm. To ensure it stays warm inside your home, it is important to remember to care for your heating system, so it performs optimally all winter long. The air filter in your heating system builds up more dirt the harder it works, which can cause the heater to not work properly. Check and change your air filter before the build up gets to be too much. Air filters are both inexpensive and easy to change.

ACCA Members Contribute Significant Number of Mercury Containing Thermostats to TRC Recycling Effort

Thermostat Recycling Corp. Applauds ACCA Members’ Exceptional Effort

Fort Washington, Pennsylvania — A recent review by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) shows that its members are some of the nation’s top recyclers of mercury containing thermostats that are included in the Thermostat Recycling Corp.’s (TRC) collection efforts.

TRC Applauds Illinois’ New Mercury Containing Thermostat Regulations

During a recent review of its plan for recycling mercury containing thermostats, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency changed the goals set under the state’s Thermostat Collection Act for the years 2015 to 2020. The amended guidelines acknowledge that the original numerical collection goals calling for a specific number of mercury containing thermostats were unrealistic moving forward. The regulation modified both collection targets and added a series of programmatic activities to complete annually.

How Did TRC and the Industry Perform in 2018?  We Share the Good News

After returning from the HARDI conference in early December, I put my feet up on the office desk, lit up my imaginary calabash pipe favored by Sherlock Holmes and allowed myself a long-needed rumination about TRC’s activities and victories this past year. Maybe it’s the holiday season, but I had my thankful hat on as the New Year approaches.

And, on a slightly more serious note, I also pondered how do we chart our future, both professionally and personally, if we don’t assess the past to add a degree of proportion moving forward?

Given the propensity of negative media news I thought it was more interesting and helpful to pen a mostly positive blog, dare I say, a realistic view of where we have been, where we are and where I suspect we might be going.

TRC Announces BMOP 2018 Winner

TRC announces the 2019 winner of the Banish Mercury Off the Planet competition at the 2018 HARDI conference. 

Who WIll Win BMOP 2018?

2018 BMOP contest will end on 31 October. Who will win?

Springfield, IL Residents:  Get Rid of Hazardous Waste on November 3rd

Properly and safely dispose of hazardous waste on November 3rd.

The TWENTY Bin Club

As TRC turns 20, we wanted to recognize collection partners who have returned TWENTY collection bins.

Two More Join the 10 Bin Club!

Two more collection sites join TRC's 10 Bin Club.

TRC Celebrates 20 Years

Thermostat Recycling Corporation Celebratesd 20 years of recycling mercury containing thermostats.

Household Hazardous Waste Centers Are Our Least Effective Collection Type

Recently, I spent some time mulling over the various sources that contribute to our recycling of mercury containing thermostats. I re-affirmed facts and issues that are part of the zeitgeist in the recycling and home hazardous waste world. In my review of how we do things, I also reaffirmed my suspicion that much of how we work and what we encounter applies to all businesses.

A Nudge in the HVACR Business

What makes things change? More specifically, what is the final push, shove, jerk, bump, prod or jolt that must occur to see a customer decide to hire you for a changeout project? What about your employee who goes through the motions doing his job but never shows enthusiasm for learning new technologies or improving his upsell successes?  

AESP Webinar

Getting to know the TRC program.

TRC Saves Money on Mercury Clean Up

Costs to clean up the Penobscot River estuary increase.  But, Thermostat Recycling Corporation provides a cost effective solution to mercury recycling. 

We Get the Damnedest Things in Our Bins

Our straight forward process for recycling mercury thermostats has unintended consequences. 

The Ten Bin Club-September

Congratulations to these partners who have returned their 10th bin to TRC.

Sustainability:  A Self Examiniation

A self study in sustainability. 

Hazardous Waste in Your House?

Do you have hazardous products in your home?  Almost certainly, the answer is YES!  How can you tell and what should you do?

Napa County Recycling Guidelines

Sixteen things that don't belong in your Napa County recycling bin.

LIHEAP Helps California

An additional $50 million is available for LIHEAP in California for 2019.

Top Ten Bin Club

TRC Announces the Top Ten Bin Club recognizing collection partners that have returned ten bins this year!

A Day to Remember: Recycle Your Mercury Thermostat Day

Recycle Your Thermostat Day is Here!  Mark your calendars!

California Imposes Massive Penalty

Penalty Increased from $25,000 per day to $70,000 per day. 

Environmental Milestones

The last 40 years have seen dramatic changes in environmental stewardship. But the history of environmentalism goes back into the late 19th century.

Welcome Summer!

Every kid knows that June 21st is the "longest day of the year."  Technically, it is the day with the longest number of daylight hours in the northern hemisphere. But you get the point.

The Nudge: A Nobel Winning Solution to Increasing the Recycling of Mercury Containing Thermostats?

Nudging people and organizations to recycle mercury containing thermostats may be an effective way to create substantial change. 

Busting Myths

The reality about recycling mercury thermostats:  Fact. vs Fiction. 

We Honor Those Who Served

"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died.  Rather, we should thank God that such men lived." George S. Patton

What Would Rachel Carson Think

How has the world changed since Rachel Carson's groundbreaking book, Silent Spring? 

Spring Cleaning:  Recycle Hazardous Items!

Weekends are perfect for spring cleaning. But when you clean out the garage, basement or attic, be sure you properly dispose of hazardous materials like mercury thermostats, batteries, lightbulbs and paint.

Statement on Proposed $50B In Chinese Tariffs

Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC)’s Executive Director, Ryan Kiscaden, released the following statement regarding President Trump’s announcement on $50 billion worth of Chinese tariffs, which include Automatic Thermostats (90321000) at 25%: 

BMOP 2018 Announced

Thermostat Recycling Corporation Announces 2018 BMOP Competition.

Thermostat Recycling Corporation Celebrates 20 Years

Thermostat Recycling Corporation Celebrates 20 Years

Promote Low-Income Thermostat Recycling with TRC

This Earth Day TRC will be launching a new effort to collect and properly dispose of mercury-containing thermostats specifically from low-income residences.

TRC Team Represents at Ft Washington 5k

Thermostat Recycling Corporation Supports Local Charity in 5k Run

Ancient Technology Helps Remove Mercury from the Environment

A Minnesota firm is working on an inexpensive and natural way to remove heavy metals from the environment.

RISE Engineering Recognized as a Growing Mercury Thermostat Recycler in the United States

Rhode Island-based energy solutions provider, RISE Engineering is recognized by TRC as a fast-growing recycler of mercury thermostats. 

Mercury Is Falling After 20 Years

Mercury found in products in the waste stream is declining. 

Casio Gets into the Mercury-Free World

New Projector Protects the Environment

Smarter One Thermostat at a Time

Smart thermostats and programmable thermostats are very different.  Smart thermostats are the way of the future.

Thermostat Recycling Corporation Celebrates Spring

Some amazing traditions associated with Spring.

Thermostats, TRC and Our Elevator Speech

But what is it that you do?

Most of us have had the experience asking that question (mentally) of someone who just spent five minutes describing themselves and their company, yet the precise definition of the person’s duties or the company’s purpose remained hazy.

Thermostat Recycling Corp. is fortunate that I can distill what we do and explain our mission in a simple sentence: We keep mercury out of the waste stream to protect the environment.

TRC Executive Director Awarded “40 Under 40”

Thermostat Recycling Corporation's Executive Director honored by Waste360

The TRC Journey with a Chicago Message

I’m pausing during my visit to Chicago for the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance conference, mulling over how relevant this event is to TRC’s mission: removing and recycling mercury-filled thermostats throughout the United States.

The Power of Public Comment

The city of Philadelphia recently issued a 55-page report, “Power Our Future: A Clean Energy Vision for Philadelphia.” It was an admirable undertaking, attempting to develop and articulate a plan that was logical, workable and most important, responsive to energy and environmental concerns for the city’s long-term future.

We should commend them for the effort. However, the alarm bell started ringing when I read this sentence: “Buy a programmable thermostat to reduce energy usage when you’re away from home.” On the surface, a sensible suggestion. However, what was lacking is any advice that a consumer or business should follow if they were replacing a mercury-filled unit.

Recycling and a Degree of Proportionality

As I approach my second anniversary as Executive Director at Thermostat Recycling Corp. (TRC), I spend considerable effort urging businesses and consumers to recycle their mercury-filled thermostats.

Sometimes, my intensity in these endeavors and TRC’s broad marketing efforts might seem to diminish the issue of proportionality regarding mercury thermostats contribution to the environmental stream.

Michigan, Goldilocks and Bears, Oh My!

A few blogs ago, I wrote about a phenomenon at Thermostat Recycling Corp. which we call the Goldilocks Zone. This “zone” has little do with the discovery of new planets. In fact, it has nothing to do with the necessary elements for human life in galaxies. Instead, it is a relatively reliable source of criteria which indicates where mercury thermostats come back from generally. These products remain stubbornly in areas which share most to all of these commonalities. 

The Search for Perfect Collection Data

Recently, I read Brian Loftus’ September 2017 Data-Driven Newsletter.

Loftus, HARDI’s Market Research & Benchmarking analyst, made the general observation about the impact of weather on equipment sales. He was specifically referring to warm weather in August 2016, which saw higher sales of ducted air conditioners and ducted heat pumps when compared with August 2017. The culprit for the lower sales this year, he suggested, was an unusually warmer August the previous year.

“Honey, Please Check the Thermostat”

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Texas residents are bracing for another deluge: the sounds of reconstruction as the state begins to rebuild, on its way to a semblance of normalcy. And within this leviathan reconstruction effort lurks a significant hazardous waste issue that both consumers and contractors must address, and one about which my organization has a particular concern: the safe removal and disposal of mercury-filled thermostats.

Chittenden County, VT., Leads Nation’s Household Hazardous Waste Sector In Recycling Mercury Thermo

 Chittenden County, VT leads the United States in its recycling program for mercury-containing thermostats, according to a recent report from the Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) that measured county recycling efforts.

There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills… And Mercury in Them Thar Lakes!

While many believe that mercury contamination resulted from the improper disposal of products such as mercury-containing thermostats, batteries, and light bulbs, its genesis is actually tied to an important time in America’s evolution.

TRC Names Naperville Fire Department Collection Partner of the Month for August 2017

According to Captain Rick Zakaras, Naperville Fire Department, TRC’s mercury thermostat recycling program “has provided a simple, safe and convenient method to dispose of thermostats” for Naperville residents. And the results show it.

TRC Changes Eligibility for 2017 BMOP Competition and Announces Two New Contest Categories

Thermostat Recycling Corp. (TRC) is switching things up with its 2017 Big Man On Planet (BMOP) competition.

8 Technologies that are Making the World More Sustainable

For Earth Day, Honeywell is taking a closer look at how energy efficiency inspires innovation. 

Good business, economic growth, and responsibility can – and must – go hand in hand. With nearly 50 percent of our revenue linked to energy efficiency, Honeywell can help the world face its energy challenges.

Seven Trade Associations Show Support for TRC by Signing a Coalition Letter Addressed to California

On May 19th, the Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) filed its Program Modification Plan for the Collection of Mercury-Containing Thermostats in California on behalf of 25, out of 31, thermostat manufacturers.

As the public comment period of the program modification plan (PMP) wound down, TRC reached out to trade associations aligned with its industry, asking them to sign onto a coalition letter to the department.

Thanks to Public & Private Partnerships ELVS Has Left the Building

It is interesting to view side-by-side the ELVS (top) collection track record with that of the TRC (bottom).

They are quite alike. Both deal with mercury encased in a product that is used in a vehicle or a home. Both also deal with a product that is no longer manufactured with mercury. Both deal with end-of-life issues and collection rates for both are expected to decrease over time as older products are removed from commerce.

ELVS collections are tracking down as expected. While TRC collections have plateaued, there is no reason to believe that the TRC collections will not also track down. This is reassuring, but now is not the time to rest on one’s laurels.  The TRC is promoting its message more strongly now than ever before and is reaching out to still more audiences who might open undiscovered channels to unaccounted for mercury-containing thermostats. Our job is to stay vigilant and compliant and work together to get as many of them accounted for as soon as we can.

TRC Announces 2017 Big Man on Planet Competition

Earth Day 2017: TRC Urges Consumers To Help Rid the Environment of Mercury Thermostats

Free 4/19 Webinar Covers Mercury-Thermostat Recycling During the Spring Shoulder Season

Learn what to do with discontinued mercury thermostats when doing spring maintainance upgrades.Free 4/19 PSI webinar featuring EPA expert, Tom Murray, addresses this and the safe collection of other mercury-containing products.

TRC Opposes Connecticut’s HB 70657 To Keep Mercury Recycling as Effective as Possible

TRC Names Franklin Energy Services Illinois’ Collection Partner of the Month

Thermostat Recycling Corporation honors company for commitment to ridding US of mercury-containing thermostats

Maine and Vermont Incentive Update and Instructions

TRC has changed its $5 incentive program coupon system in Maine and Vermont to make it easier for customers. Watch the following video for detailed instructions: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxoj4M4APkI

Rhode Island Exceeds 2016 Mercury Recycling Goal

The Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) announced this week that the goal set by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) for the proper recycling of the equivalent of 3,250 mercury thermostats in 2016 was achieved in October, more than two months ahead of schedule.

TRC Elects New Board Member, Announces BMOP Competition Results

The Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) has two big announcements that will be acknowledged at the upcoming HARDI annual conference held at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs from December 3rd-6th. TRC is pleased to announce the appointment of its newest board member Rob Munin, President and CEO of Lux Products Corporation, and TRC has wrapped up the annual Big Man On Planet (BMOP) competition and is excited to announce the results.

GoodCents: November Featured Collection Partner of the Month

The Thermostat Recycling Corporation’s collection location of the month for November is GoodCents, a partner that has recycled over 650 thermostats and 6.5 pounds of mercury in the last four years. GoodCents’ purpose is to help all people use the world’s precious resources more efficiently. They develop tailored energy efficiency, demand response and integrated demand-side management program solutions to help utility clients improve their communities and their customers’ quality of life.

RISE Engineering Recognized for Top Mercury Thermostat Recycling Efforts in Rhode Island

Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) along with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the RI Office of Energy Resources (OER) have formally recognized energy solutions provider RISE Engineering as the top mercury thermostat recycler in Rhode Island in 2015. State officials presented a citation from the Office of the Governor to RISE Engineering this morning, during National Energy Awareness Month, at the company’s headquarters in Cranston, R.I.

RISE Engineering was the top-performing TRC collection partner in the state in terms of total recycling bins returned (13) and mercury thermostats recycled (1,171) in 2015, accounting for 53 percent of the entire state’s mercury thermostat collections for the year.

October Featured Collection Partner of the Month: Johnstone Supply

Our collection location of the month for October is Johnstone Supply, TRC's top mercury thermostat recycling partner that has been working with TRC since as early as 2000. Since 2012, Johnstone Supply stores across the nation have collected over 114,000 mercury thermostats and recycled over 1,160 lbs of mercury, which is the most mercury any single company has diverted from the environment through TRC. Johnstone Supply has been a winner of the Big Man on Planet competition several years in a row for recycling the most mercury thermostats.

September Featured Collection Partner of the Month: Johnson Supply

This month's featured TRC collection partner is Johnson Supply, a loyal participant of the program since 2006. In the past four years alone they have collected more than 7,000 mercury thermostats, diverting more than 87lbs of mercury from solid waste. They were also one of the winners in last year's Big Man on Planet competition for being a HARDI member that recycled the most mercury thermostats.

Mercury Thermostats: Turning Quicksilver Into Gold

One of the most commonly asked questions that the staff at Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) receive while conducting outreach is, “So what is it you guys do, exactly?”

To put that question to rest, today I’ll lay it out plain and simple: we do exactly what our company name says we do.

The Thermostat Recycling Corporation recycles mercury thermostats. Founded voluntarily in 1998 by Honeywell, White-Rodgers, and General Electric, TRC was established as a non-profit product stewardship organization with the goal of ensuring the toxic elemental mercury found in thermostat switches doesn’t end up back in the environment. This is accomplished mainly by distributing recycling bins to HVAC wholesale distributors, contractors, and local county recycling facilities around the country.

August Featured Collection Partner of the Month: Covanta

Covanta has partnered with several entities to help facilitate mercury thermostat recycling in various states and contribute to TRC’s overall collection numbers. In April 2015 Covanta Tulsa, Locke Supply and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) partnered to provide a convenient way to responsibly recycle mercury containing thermostats in Oklahoma.

July Featured Collection Partner of the Month: Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency

Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA) has been participating in TRC's program since 2011. In the past four years alone, their one collection site has recovered 566 mercury thermostats!

June Featured Collection Partner of the Month: Chittenden Solid Waste District

June’s featured TRC collection partner is Chittenden Solid Waste District, a loyal participant of the program since 2007. In the past four years alone their one location has collected more than 2,176 mercury thermostats, diverting more than 16lbs of mercury from solid waste. Each year they continue to be one of the leading household hazardous waste facilities in terms of TRC's collections nationwide.

Featured Blog on HVAC.com

Our friends at HVAC.com published a blog about the importance of mercury thermostat recycling. 

Mississippi Queen

A blog from our talented summer intern, Queen Brown.

I checked Facebook earlier this morning and at the top of my newsfeed was a memory. I graduated from Ocean Springs High School in Ocean Springs, MS this same time four years ago. Wow! Four years ago, I was closing a chapter of my life to begin a new one to explore and chase my dreams.

May Featured Collection Partner of the Month: Franklin Energy Services

Franklin Energy has been participating in TRC’s program since 2009. In the past four years alone they have collected 17,492 mercury thermostats, diverting more than 124lbs of mercury from solid waste!

April Featured Collection Partner of the Month: US Air Conditioning Distributors

This month’s featured TRC collection partner of the month is US Air Conditioning Distributors (USACD), a loyal participant of the program since 2009. In the past four years alone they have collected more than 20,600 mercury thermostats, diverting more than 244lbs of mercury from solid waste. They were also one of the winners in last year’s Big Man on Planet competition for being a HARDI member that recycled the most mercury thermostats.

TRC Names New Executive Director

Thermostat Recycling Corporation’s (TRC) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of current TRC Director of National Accounts, Ryan Kiscaden, as Executive Director effective immediately. The Board’s announcement is supported by the TRC membership with a continued expectation of extended producer responsibility stewardship and complete confidence in Ryan’s abilities to lead the organization’s efforts.  

TRC is seeking a Project Manager - Compliance Program

Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC), a national program headquartered in Alexandria, VA, is seeking candidates for the position of Project Manager – Compliance Program. The project manager will be responsible for managing the TRC’s California compliance project.

A Brief History of Thermostats: The Inventors

Thermostats are the ubiquitous overlord of humanity’s day-to-day comfort. Think about it - there is hardly an American citizen who does not own and operate a thermostat in their own home. And yet, few people think about this little piece of technology past the annoyance of the Office Manager stubbornly locking the A/C at a crisp 64 degrees.

Thermostat Recycling Corporation is here to help you out. No, not with your Office Manager, sorry. We deal with thermostats every single day, so we are here to discuss the history of our favorite little piece of technology. 

TRC Executive Director Transition

It is with regret that I announce the resignation of Thermostat Recycling Corporation’s Executive Director, Mark Tibbetts, effective December 31, 2015.  Mark is leaving TRC to assume the leadership of a manufacturer trade association, but will remain with the program through the end of the year to help with the transition of staff leadership.  

TRC’s Board of Directors will commence a search for a successor immediately.  During the recruitment process, TRC’s Director of National Accounts, Ryan Kiscaden, will assume the interim role of Acting Executive Director with the support of me and the other Board members.

On behalf of the Board I would like to thank Mark for his tremendous contributions to the TRC program.   During his eight years as Executive Director, Mark helped TRC grow from four to thirty members, successfully transitioned TRC from NEMA, added over a thousand additional recycling collection sites and has been a tireless advocate of TRC and its mission.  I wish him the best of success in his new endeavors.

Sincerely,
Dan O’Donnell
Chair, TRC Board of Directors

Are You Smarter Than A Smart Thermostat?

While the Thermostat Recycling Corporation is busy getting mercury thermostats properly recycled, homeowners are having a ball choosing the mercury thermostat’s successor. That’s right, thermostats are fun now. The latest trend in energy efficient home heating and cooling?

Smart thermostats.

Smart thermostats are a great replacement for your old mercury thermostat. It’s hard to argue with saving money, helping out the environment by engaging in home energy efficiency, and ushering your home into the future of climate control. TRC does not incur responsibility if your smart thermostat becomes more popular than you.

A Simple Question to Help Keep Mercury out of Vermont’s Environment

With fall’s arrival it’s likely your heating contractor will be at your home to service your furnace or boiler for an annual system maintenance check or as homeowners, you might be doing this same winter preparation yourself. 

If you think your thermostat may contain mercury, ask your heating technician. If it does, ask them to swap it out and properly recycle it.

The Culture of Thermostats

A blog from our talented summer intern, Quincy Kittle:

Imagine a five-year old girl wearing an outfit with enough sparkles on it to blind incoming traffic, adorned with bright red lipstick, perched proudly on top of a horse. Welcome to horse showing culture, comparable to a beauty pageant on top of a horse. I’ve grown up completely immersed in this environment, always having horses at my home in Clinton, Michigan and horse showing ever since I had enough core strength to sit straight on a horse. Labeled the “horse girl” in my small hometown marked me as an expert on anything involved with horses, therefore it was assumed I would pursue an equine related career. In contrast to popular opinion, the horse is not the field I am studying, but instead I am learning about the culture behind horses, actually the culture of everything. I am pursuing a degree in Comparative Cultures and Politics along with minors in Spanish, and Science, Technology, Environment, and Public Policy at Michigan State University.

A Simple Question to Help Keep Mercury out of Our Environment

Are you aware that many thermostats manufactured prior to 2006 contain mercury? Are you aware that a mercury thermostat contains at least 1,000 times more mercury than today’s standard compact fluorescent light bulb?  Are you aware that mercury thermostats likely carry the majority of mercury found in homes today and yet thousands still end up in the trash each year?

A Great Year for Collection Growth

In 2012 TRC created the Mercury Recovery Index (MRI). The index compares the amount of mercury recovered each year in percentage terms as compared to an index base year, which in most cases has been set at 2007 to match the base year used in many economic indicators. The base year’s index value is set to equal 100, and the data series is normalized to illustrate change relative to that base year value.

Traveling North to South

If someone asked me what my life was like before college, I could sum it up in one word: sports. My father taught me to alpine ski at age two, I was riding a bike and playing soccer by five, and my parents took us kids all over the world to hike and horseback ride for as long as I can remember. All of these activities combined with my upbringing in the remote Upper Peninsula of Michigan resulted in a lot of outdoor time. Even now, that’s where I’m happiest – outdoors.

Which HARDI members will recycle the most mercury thermostats?

It’s that time of year again...the launch of our 4th annual Big Man on Planet competition! Three years ago, in partnership with HARDI (Heating, Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International), we launched “Big Man on Planet” in an effort to provide a fun competition among HARDI member distributors to see who could recycle the most mercury thermostats.  Last year’s competition results were amazing and our collection partners recovered more than 55,000 mercury thermostats!

Spring Cleaning for your HVAC System

Given the very cold and snowy winter that many parts of our country endured, it’s hard to believe that today is officially the first day of spring…but it’s finally here! This season brings in warmer weather, blossoming plants, longer days, and is also known for “Spring Cleaning.”  Don’t forget about your HVAC system as you start on your spring cleaning chores! Following the easy tips below will help your HVAC system smoothly transition into the new season.

TRC Hiring Operations and Marketing Coordinator

The Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) in Alexandria, VA is seeking candidates for the position of Operations and Marketing Coordinator. The position involves supporting TRC’s operations and assisting with the implementation of its marketing plan.  

A Productive Year in the Books

As hard as it may be to believe, 2014 is about to come to an end and many businesses are already focusing on their 2015 initiatives. December tends to spark a bit of reflection about the past year’s accomplishments as we formulate goals or New Year resolutions for the next year, both in business and in our personal lives. This year as I reflect back on what TRC accomplished, I feel extremely proud. I have been with the organization for two years now, watching it grow, and 2014 was a pretty stellar year if I do say so myself.

TRC Announces 2014 Big Man On Planet Competition Winners

Johnstone Supply, Crescent Parts & Equipment, and Corken Steel Products take top awards for mercury thermostat collection efforts.

A Simple Question to Help Keep Mercury out of the Environment

Are you aware that many thermostats manufactured prior to 2006 contain mercury? Are you aware that a mercury thermostat contains at least 1,000 times more mercury than today’s standard compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL)?  Are you aware that mercury thermostats are likely the largest remaining reservoir of mercury in homes today, and thousands end up in the trash each year?   

TRC Welcomes New Operations and Marketing Coordinator

Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) is pleased to announce the addition of Alex Monié to TRC as the organization’s Operations and Marketing Coordinator, a new position at TRC. Alex has joined the team to aid the continued growth of TRC’s brand and network.

Alex is a former Demmer Scholar, where he interned for TRC in the summer of 2013. He attended Mississippi State University where he graduated with a BA in Political Science with minors in Economics and Philosophy.  

Tips to Promote Your Recycling Efforts

If you participate in TRC’s program, either as a mercury thermostat collection location or as a person who recycles mercury thermostats, you’re doing a good deed and helping the environment. (And if you don’t participate yet, find out how you can here). However, are you making others aware of your recycling efforts? Your good need shouldn’t go unnoticed, especially if awareness can help motivate others to change their recycling behaviors as well. Below I offer a few tips on how to effectively (and cheaply) promote that you are a TRC collection point and a mercury thermostat recycler.

Maintenance Agreements, or Whatever you Want to Call Them

Service contracts, maintenance agreements, extended service plans.  Call these what you may but they are imperative to continuing a steady stream of income for your HVAC/r contracting business.  When times are slow, these little contracts keep your employees busy and continue top of mind activity with your customers.  A wise businessman once said, that it is easier to keep a customer than to acquire a new one.  These agreements are true and recession proof.

5 for $5 USACD Summer Recycling Promotion

Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) has joined forces with US Air Conditioning Distributors (USACD) to offer a new summer promotion to incent the return of mercury thermostats. Want $5 to In-N-Out Burger®?  Simply bring five mercury thermostats to any USACD location to recycle.  From now until August 31st, every USACD location will be offering this limited-time summer promotion in partnership with Thermostat Recycling Corporation while supplies last.

Earn More Profit by Recovering Your Environmental Costs

What would you do with extra profit?  Maybe take your spouse out to eat more, purchase those golf clubs you had been following on eBay, or save for your kid’s college?  This article explains how to upsell to homeowners the value that you provide as an expert in retrofitting homes that have products needing special disposal, such as refrigerant and mercury thermostats.  Believe it or not, that “quick-silver” gooey stuff that you used to play with in grade school can actually make you money.