Posted by: Judy Garber
Issue 162 - It's the Law
The Mercury Thermostat Recycling Law
A new Pennsylvania law designed to increase the collection and recycling of waste mercury thermostats went into effect December 8, 2009. The Mercury-Free Thermostat Collection Act of 2008 (HB 44) requires all HVAC wholesalers to act a collection point for waste mercury thermostats. The law also mandates that contractors and thermostat retailers either participate in a manufacturer supported collection program or provide notice to customers that recycling of mercury thermostats is required under Pennsylvania law and identify locations of nearby collection points. The Pennsylvania law follows similar legislation in California, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
A media day recognizing this new law was hosted at Shipley Energy, York, PA. When asked to locate a PA location for this important event, Judy Garber, Executive Administrator of NAOHSM (National Association of Oilheating Service Managers) suggested that using a location of one it’s members would be ideal. “Associations have the ability to get information out to their members quickly. Members of the trade that join Associations tend to be better educated and informed about their particular field and strive to deliver quality service to their customers.”, states Garber.
Under the new law, manufacturers must collect and recycle waste mercury thermostats at no cost to contractors and home-owners.
The Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) is providing collection containers to HVAC wholesalers for a nominal one-time fee. TRC absorbs all subsequent costs to ship and recycle waste mercury thermostats.
“TRC wants contractors to know that it’s easy, convenient, and most importantly free for them to properly dispose of mercury thermostats,” said Mark Tibbetts, TRC’s executive director. “To comply with the law, all HVAC contractors need to do is to hang onto the mercury thermostats they remove from service and drop them off for recycling at their local HVAC supply house.”
TRC is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1997 by thermostat manufacturers to collect and properly dispose of mercury thermostats removed from service. TRC provides HVAC contractors and consumers with a no-cost solution for properly disposing mercury-switch thermostats. Nationally, TRC has more than 3,000 collection containers in 48 states. TRC currently represents nearly 30 manufacturers that branded and distributed mercury-switch thermostats in the United States.
For more information about the TRC program, contact Executive Director Mark Tibbetts at (703) 841-3246 or Mark_Tibbetts@nema.org. Www.thermosat-recycle.org.
Judy Garber (email)
NAOHSM
P.O. Box 67
East Petersburg, PA 17520
Phone: 888-552-0900
Fax: 717-625-3077
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