BOSTON - The Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) and the Thermostat Recycling Corp. (TRC) have partnered with the states of Indiana and Oregon, along with Portland General Electric, to offer contractors a financial incentive for recycling thermostats that contain mercury.PSI obtained a $50,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant to determine if offering a financial incentive to HVAC contractors results in increased recycling of these devices.
Environmental officials say that improper disposal of mercury thermostats is one of the largest sources of environmental mercury contamination from consumer products.