Massachusetts HVAC Contractors Now Required to Recycle Mercury Thermostats
Mercury Thermostat Bill Establishes New Requirements for the HVAC Industry
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A new law in Massachusetts 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 Oct. 30, 2014 no HVAC wholesale distributor shall sell or distribute any thermostat unless the wholesaler participates as a collection site to recycle mercury thermostats.
The Massachusetts collection program is supported by 31 manufacturer members of the Thermostat Recycling Corp. (TRC). The Massachusetts law requires all manufacturers of mercury thermostats sold in the state to either individually or collectively participate in a collection program. TRC notes that its recycling program is an easy and low-cost means of complying with the Massachusetts law for manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and HVAC contractors.