How & Where to Recycle Specific Materials

Thermostats & Thermometers - Updated March 18, 2009

Older thermostats and thermometers often contain mercury, a highly toxic metal.  You can tell if your device contains mercury as follows:

Thermostats  There are three types of thermostats in use in homes:  1) mercury; 2) spring-loaded, and 3) digital.  Digital thermostats are relatively new and only began to gain popularity in the mid 1990's.  Of the thermostats that are not digital,  over 90% contain mercury.  Thus, the vast majority of homes with thermostats that are ten years or older contain mercury.

There are two ways one can safely dispose of mercury thermostats.  

1) Eau Claire County residents can recycle them as part of the county's Clean Sweep program.  

2) The following companies participate in the Thermostat Recycling Corporation industry recycling program.  Residents with mercury thermostats can bring them to these companies for recycling at no charge.  Note that the thermostats must be intact - they do not accept mercury vials, nor do they accept thermometers.

        First Supply Company (596 Cameron Street, Eau Claire; 832-6638)

        Hovland's (10954 E. Melby Street, Chippewa Fllas; 832-1691)

        Bartingale (2021 Oxford Ave, Eau Claire; 835-3169)

        Certified (350 Sunday Drive, Altoona; 834-5409)

Thermometers There are two types of glass thermometers:  1) mercury based and 2) alcohol based.  You can tell the difference by the color - a mercury thermometer is silver and an alcohol thermometer is either red or blue. 

Alcohol thermometers are safe to throw away in the trash. 

Mercury thermometers should be recycled.  The only option available to residents to recycle thermometers is to take them to one of the Residential Clean Sweep events held annually each year.