California and Pennsylvania Approve Thermostat Recycling Laws

California and Pennsylvania have joined four other states in approving comprehensive laws enforcing the proper collection and recycling of mercury-containing thermostats. These new state laws are based on model state legislation developed by the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) with input from thermostat manufacturers, heating and cooling contractors and wholesalers, retailers, environmental groups and government officials. PSI’s model shares responsibility for safe thermostat recycling among all these groups, according to a press release from the organization.

Many thermostats currently in use contain mercury. Although no mercury is released when these products are intact, when disposed of improperly, they can cause mercury to be released into the environment. While sales of mercury-containing thermostats are declining as manufacturers shift production to non-mercury digital thermostats, there are still an estimated 50 million mercury-containing thermostats in homes throughout the United States.

Maine enacted the first comprehensive thermostat law in 2006, which was mediated by PSI among government, industry and environmental stakeholders. That law was followed by PSI’s development of a more inclusive model that was used to approve subsequent legislation in Iowa, New Hampshire and Vermont.

PSI is helping states develop a common methodology to set baselines for thermostat recovery and to measure progress. Maine and Vermont include performance goals for thermostat recycling in their laws, as well as financial incentives for contractors and homeowners to encourage recycling. California and Iowa’s thermostat laws require their state environmental agencies to develop the performance goals.