Mercury Best Management Practices

Some of the most progressive and successful mercury reduction and recycling programs have come from counties and cities in Washington State. Clark, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Snohomish, and Thurston counties along with the cities of Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, and Vancouver have all undertaken mercury reduction efforts. A number of these programs are described below, along with some national programs.
 

Local Efforts

King County Thermostat Bounty Project

In seven locations, King County awarded a bounty for thermostats as an incentive for contractors and technicians to bring in mercury-thermostats (replaced from Fall of 2004 through spring of 2005). Over 1500 mercury thermostats and 150 mercury ampoules were collected. King County reimbursed the wholesalers for the cost of the rebates they provided their customers. 

King County Dental Amalgam Project

In 1995, King County and the Seattle-King County Dental Society began working with dentists to achieve voluntary proper disposal of wastes. In 2000, King County's Local Hazardous Waste Management Program and the King County Industrial Waste Program worked with the Dental Society to identify a user-friendly process for all dental practices in the area to make sure they were in compliance with wastewater discharge limits. Ninety seven percent of the dental practices in King County were in compliance with these regulations by the end of 2003. There has been a significant reduction in silver and mercury concentrations in the county's biosolids due to this effort. For further information contact the King County Local Hazardous Waste Management Program at 206-296-4692.

Puget Sound Lamp Recycling Coalition 

The Puget Sound Lamp Recycling Coalition project is a partnership between retailers, power utilities, a local lamp recycler, the city of Seattle, plus Thurston, Kitsap, and King Counties. Its goal is to accommodate the recycling needs of homeowners by establishing fluorescent lamp recycling programs in retail stores. The project incorporates product stewardship principles. For further information on lamp recycling, call:

      Seattle: 206- 296-4692

      Kitsap:  360-337-5777

      Snohomish:  425-388-6050

      Thurston:  360-357-2491

Northwest Fluorescent Lamp Recycling Project

The Northwest Fluorescent Lamp Recycling Project is administered by the Pollution Prevention Resource Center and promotes the proper use and handling of spent fluorescent lamps as hazardous waste. The Local Hazardous Waste Management Program (LHWMP) in King County is working with businesses that generate relatively small quantities of spent lamps (Small Quantity Generators or SQGs) to improve lamp recycling through outreach and education, on-site assistance, and financial incentives. Efforts include outreach to property managers and lighting contractors, site visits, trade show exhibits, a website, brochures, and regular ads in business trade publications. A partnership between the LHWMP and Seattle City Light was formed to financially assist businesses that are undergoing lighting retrofits. 

Mercury Switch Change-Out Programs

King County's Solid Waste Division and the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program are helping vehicle fleet managers and technicians safely remove and recover mercury-containing tilt switches in many vehicles. Both Thurston and King Counties have  hosted vehicle switch change out programs.   

Thurston County has program for the county's vehicle fleet, in which they remove mercury-containing switches when the fleet vehicles come in for servicing. The county then returns these switches to the manufacturer as part of a take back program. They are also beginning an "end of life" program with auto recyclers to encourage removal and collection of the switches, which will then be returned to the supplier through the county.

Lewis County Thermometer Exchange

The Lewis County Solid Waste Utility is offering a thermometer exchange in order to rid area homes of hazardous materials. Lewis County residents can trade in their mercury thermometers for mercury-free thermometers at the county-operated Hazo-Hut. Hazo-Hut also offers free and proper disposal of other common household hazardous wastes.

Snohomish County Moderate Risk Waste (MRW) Program

Snohomish County provides a mercury collection facility for household hazardous waste (HHW) and conditionally exempt small quantity generator (CESQG) businesses. Fluorescent tubes are collected from households and also from SQGs, who are charged for the service. The county is working on education and technical assistance for businesses. 

Best Management Practices from Across the U.S.

City of Palo Alto, California

The City of Palo Alto, California sponsors a "Money for Mercury" program. Pharmacies and Hardware stores participate in a city-wide collection of mercury-containing thermometers, thermostats, and other products. Residents who bring items in for collection receive a coupon for $2.50 or $5.00 towards the purchase of store merchandise. The participating stores earn recognition as a "Clean Bay Business."

Chesapeake Bay Program/Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay operates the "Businesses for the Bay" program through an EPA grant provided to the Chesapeake Bay Program. "Businesses for the Bay" is a voluntary pollution prevention program for businesses, industries, government facilities, and other organizations within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. More than 600 facilities and 50 individuals work to implement pollution prevention activities in their facilities and provide technical assistance to potential participants. 

Western Lake Superior District, Duluth, Minnesota

With assistance from EPA and other regional resources, the Western Lake Superior District works with dentists, industries, hospitals, and schools to identify sources of mercury, solid waste, and other harmful releases into the environment. The district, through its "Zero Discharge Project," assists entities in finding methods to control the release of harmful substances. The district also provides guidance to other entities, notably wastewater treatment facilities, in its "Blueprint for Mercury Elimination."

Erie County Department of Environment and Planning, Buffalo, New York

The Erie County "Mercury Pollution Prevention Education Program" aims to eliminate mercury from the waste stream by engaging in a combination of ambitious public outreach campaigns and collection events. The program has produced a variety of materials to reach its goals including brochures, poster exhibits, product displays, slide presentations, a database of mercury recyclers, and a Web site. 

Northeast Waste Management Officials» Association (NEWMOA)

The Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association (NEWMOA) is a non-profit, non-partisan, interstate association. Its membership consists of the directors of hazardous waste, solid waste site cleanup, and pollution prevention programs from environmental agencies in eight northeast states. It is established as a regional organization that coordinates interstate hazardous waste, solid waste, and pollution prevention activities and supports state waste programs.