Incentives Offered in Maine to Recycle Thermostats

Homeowners in Maine can receive a $5 payment by recycling their old mercury thermostat. Residents are prohibited from disposing of the thermostats in the municipal waste stream.

According to a program initiated under a state law, thermostat manufacturers will provide pre-paid UPS mailing labels to any homeowner who requests them. The mailing labels allow consumers to ship thermostats to be recycled. In return, manufacturer will provide $5 for each thermostat received. Payments are also provided to contractors who recycle thermostats through wholesale suppliers.

The program is operated by Thermostat Recycling Corp., an industry-funded non-profit that recycles mercury thermostats throughout the United States. The TRC facility is located in Golden Valley, Minn.

Mark Kohorst, executive director of TRC, said, "It is now not only environmentally responsible, but profitable for Maine residents to avoid throwing old thermostats in the trash. Homeowners can obtain mailing labels from us either by phone or email and we encourage them to do so."

Homeowners can request a mailing label by calling 1-800-238-8192 or sending an electronic request to trc@nema.org.

The TRC is funded by Honeywell, Emerson White-Rodgers, GE, and Nordyne, all of which sold mercury thermostats in Maine when it was legal to do so. More information can be obtained from the TRC web site, www.nema.org/trc.