Thermostat Recycling Corp. (TRC) collected 4.9% more pounds of mercury from thermostats in 2021 when compared with its efforts in 2020. As a result, it collected 937 pounds of mercury in 2021, compared with 892 pounds in 2020. There were 93,045 mercury-containing thermostat units collected and recycled in 2021 compared with 85,351 in 2020, an increase of slightly more than 9%.
“Despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, our partners showed their commitment to recycling, resulting in an almost 5% increase in the pounds of mercury collected and recycled,” said Danielle Myers, operations & compliance manager, TRC. “This increase at a time of turbulence in the business world and our personal lives is astonishing. I can only thank our partners in the field, who are persistent at removing the thermostats.”
TRC’s top 10 recycling partners by pounds of mercury are:
Partners Mercury Volume (lbs.)
Johnstone Supply 172.3104
R. E. Michel Co. 107.7374
United Refrigeration 32.8724
Lennox 27.4474
Watsco 24.8992
Ferguson 20.8878
Refrigeration Supplies
Distributor (RSD) 18.8542
F.W. Webb 18.4822
G.W. Berkheimer 15.8100
Geary Pacific 13.1378
The top three states in the United States for recycling thermostats are California, Pennsylvania and Minnesota.
The collection numbers reached a peak in 2014 with 203,346 units.
“TRC’s partners are a marvelous example of persistence and grit during a pandemic that became overwhelming,” Myers said. “They exhibited the highest standards of concern and follow through by keeping mercury out of the waste stream.”