Mercury is a silvery liquid; it is toxic to humans, pets, and the environment and must be managed carefully. If you have a thermometer with mercury in it, handle carefully, place in a plastic bag and seal it, and bring it to the Regional Hazardous Waste Collection Sites at the Colrain and Conway transfer stations, or the District Office at 117 Main St., 2nd Floor, Greenfield. We offer a free digital fever thermometer in exchange. (One per household.) If the thermometer has red or blue liquid, it does not contain mercury and may be put in the trash.
Updating to a programmable thermostat? Don’t throw away your old wall-mounted thermostats: they contain a significant amount of liquid mercury! Leave thermostats in one piece, place in a sealed plastic bag, and handle carefully to avoid breakage. Thermostats may be brought to the Regional Hazardous Waste Collection Sites at the Colrain and Conway transfer stations, or the District Office at 117 Main St., 2nd Floor, Greenfield. In addition, mercury thermostats are accepted for free recycling by some plumbers and plumbing retail stores. For more drop-off locations, go to thermostat-recycle.org.
More information about mercury.
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