Citizens can safely dispose of unwanted mercury thermostats at City Hall. Thermostats will be collected at the front desk (located in the rotunda) and in the Engineering Department (located on the first floor). Broken thermostats will not be accepted.
Mercury is a heavy metal that can be a threat to human health and the environment. The average wall thermostat contains four grams of mercury, or the equivalent of 800 compact fluorescent lights.
Thermostats collected at City Hall will be sent to Thermostat Recycling Corp., an industry-funded nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Va. Thermostats will not be collected through the Household Hazardous Waste pickup service.