If you have an old, non-programmable thermostat, it probably contains mercury. It's perfectly safe in there, locked in its glass bulbs, but when you switch to a more modern thermostat you really want to make sure that mercury doesn't get into the environment.
Mercury is hazardous waste. It's a deadly neurotoxin, even in minute quantities. For instance, it would take only one gram to poison an eight-hectare lake to the point that its fish would not be safe to eat for a year.
And an old thermostat can have anywhere from 2.5 to 10 grams in its workings.
Turns out, it's easy to dispose of mercury-containing thermostats, thanks to the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada and the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating. Their Switch the 'Stat program has recycled 178.5 kilograms (393.5 pounds) of mercury since it started in 2006. (That's the equivalent of a full-grown male gorilla, just in case you need a visual comparison.)
Switch the 'Stat's hazardous waste disposal program has a network of manufacturers, distributors, contractors and home improvement stores that will accept old thermostats for recycling. You can drop them off or arrange to have them picked up, and if there's not a participant near you, you can even mail them in.
It's free to recycle your thermostat. And there's a bonus, too. When you switch to a programmable thermostat you'll save energy.
List of participating businesses
Map of participating businesses
Recycle the mercury in your old thermostat.
