Mercury-Containing Waste

A number of products that become part of the solid waste stream contain mercury, including certain thermometers, fluorescent lamps, button batteries, thermostats, manometers, switches, relays, and dental supplies. If these wastes are disposed of with our regular trash then the mercury can contaminate our environment. To prevent this environmental pollution, we need to collect mercury-contaminated wastes separately from the rest of our trash and send the mercury-contaminated wastes for recycling.

The State of Maine has a law that bans the disposal of mercury-added products and requires all mercury-added products to be recycled. This ban and recycling requirement already applies to mercury-added wastes from businesses and municipalities. It will apply to households on January 1, 2005.

In Maine, state and local hazardous and solid waste professionals are working to create waste management systems that will make it convenient to recycle your mercury-added products. This effort includes changes in hazardous waste regulations to create streamlined handling requirements for Universal Wastes to make it easier for businesses to recycle their mercury-added products such as fluorescent lamps and mercury switches.

Maine is also awarding grants to municipalities for sheds to store mercury-added products from households. See which towns are setting up collection sheds. If your community is not in the service area for one of these collection sheds, you may be able to bring your mercury-contaminated wastes to a household hazardous waste collection day. You can also call your local solid waste facility to find out if they have any plans for collecting household hazardous waste.

Some hospitals and businesses in Maine are planning special collections for mercury fever thermometers. Maine law bans the sale of these thermometers as of January 1, 2002. Also, some wastewater treatment districts hold special collection events for mercury-added products to try to reduce the amount of mercury in wastewater. Check your local papers and other news sources for notice of these special events.