Jan. 15, 2014: New York HVAC Contractors Now Required to Recycle Mercury Thermostats
New York Mercury Thermostat Bill Establishes New Requirements for the HVAC Industry
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed into law a bill that requires any person or contractor who replaces a mercury-containing thermostat to deliver it to an appropriate collection site to be recycled. The bill also mandates that as of July 1, 2014, no HVAC wholesale distributor shall sell or distribute any thermostat unless the wholesaler participates as a collection site to recycle mercury thermostats.
The New York collection program is supported by the 31 manufacturers participating in the Thermostat Recycling Corp. (TRC). The New York law requires all manufacturers of mercury thermostats sold in the state to either individually or collectively participate in a collection program.