Households

UPDATE: As of February 9, 2006, state law mandates that you can no longer legally dispose of the following items in the garbage: - All fluorescent lamps and tubes - All batteries - All electronic devices (computers, TVs and others) - All thermostats containing mercury Proper disposal of these items will help protect and preserve our environment now and for generations to come. For more information, please visit www.zerowaste.ca.gov

Reducing Mercury Pollution And Risks In Your Home

Mercury can be found in many common household products such as fever thermometers, wall thermostats and fluorescent light bulbs and tubes.
If mishandled these items can break, spilling mercury in your home, which can be harmful to human health. Unfortunately mercury doesn't disappear when it is dumped down the drain or thrown in the trash - mercury finds its way into the environment where it can ultimately affect lakes, rivers and creeks.

Pollution of our waterways also puts human health and safety at risk. Mercury contamination in the fish we eat can cause damage to the nervous system and may impair childhood development.

You can help prevent mercury pollution and protect your family by eliminating products that contain mercury from your home. Properly dispose of or recycle mercury-containing products and replace them with mercury free alternatives that are safe and efficient.

Give Your Household A Mercury Makeover

Safely dispose of or recycle mercury-containing products and update your home with new, safe digital alternatives or other mercury free options.

Mercury is in the House Brochure - English (158K pdf*)
Mercury is in the House Brochure - Spanish (165K pdf*)
Household Mercury Fact Sheet (187K pdf*)

Thermometers

Terry Musil identifies the mercury in an attendee's thermometers before collecting them and providing a new digital thermometer in return.

Silver mercury thermometers contain approximately 0.5 grams of mercury. To accurately gauge your temperature without the worry of a mercury spill, you can replace your old mercury thermometer with a digital one. Recycle your mercury thermometer through your local household hazardous waste facility.

The "Be Mercury Free" Program has held several thermometer collection and exchange events in Sacramento County. For more information on these past events, please click here. The program is also an exhibitor at several community events each year. For a list of events the Be Mercury Free Program will be at, please click here.

To view pictures from some events that Be Mercury Free booth attended in the past please click here.

Thermostats

Tilt-switch thermostats, which contain about three grams of mercury each, have been used in homes and offices to control temperatures for more than 40 years. Today, digital thermostats are a safe replacement, and they can also be programmed for maximum efficiency of your heating and air conditioning system, resulting in energy cost savings. Recycle your old thermostat(s) at your local household hazardous waste facility.

Fluorescent Light Bulbs And Tubes

Fluorescent light bulbs and tubes use up to 50 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs. However, fluorescent lights may contain mercury and should never be thrown in the trash. Always recycle mercury-containing fluorescent light bulbs and tubes to prevent mercury pollution.

Recycling and Disposal of Mercury and Mercury-Containing Items

You can get rid of liquid mercury, your old mercury-containing thermometers, thermostats and fluorescent light bulbs and other products containing mercury at the household hazardous waste collection site nearest you (see Utility Bill Insert 283K pdf*).

For locations and hours of operation call below numbers or visit listed web sites, if you reside in:

*Requires Adobe Acrobat's free reader, available here: