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Take an intact mercury thermometer or other mercury-containing household item to a local household hazardous waste program or collection event—not ordinary trash unless your local authority explicitly says otherwise. Keep it contained while you arrange drop-off. If a thermometer has broken, first determine whether the spill is thermometer-sized: EPA’s small-spill steps do not apply to larger releases.
How do I dispose of an intact mercury thermometer?
Contact your municipal waste authority, local environmental or health agency, or household hazardous waste program and ask where and when it accepts mercury thermometers. Some areas offer drop-off programs or collection and exchange events; accepted devices, schedules, appointments, packaging rules, and fees can vary. Do not assume curbside recycling or regular trash accepts the item. EPA recommends recycling mercury-containing products because mercury from landfills can reach groundwater and mercury from incineration can enter the air. See EPA’s guidance on mercury in consumer products and its storage, transport, and disposal guidance.
Keep it secure until collection
- Leave the thermometer in its original packaging, with its label, if available.
- Put it inside a larger, tightly closed container. Cushion it with kitty litter or oil-absorbent material to reduce the chance of breakage.
- Keep the container away from children and pets.
- For transport, put the secured container upright in a cardboard box and prevent it from tipping or sliding. Use a vehicle trunk or truck bed where possible; if you must carry it in the passenger compartment, provide adequate ventilation.
Confirm packaging and transport instructions with your local program before taking the item in. Local requirements can be stricter than federal household rules.
Can I throw a mercury thermometer in the trash?
Do not put one in ordinary household trash by default. EPA says households are exempt from certain federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act universal-waste handler rules, but some states and local jurisdictions have stricter requirements or do not recognize that household exemption. Ask your local waste authority what it accepts and how it wants the item packaged; there is no single drop-off route that applies everywhere.
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How can I tell whether a thermometer contains mercury?
Traditional mercury thermometers have silvery liquid, but appearance alone is not a reliable test: some non-digital thermometers use non-toxic lookalike liquids. EPA says a calibration strip marked “mercury free” means the liquid is not mercury, while a liquid of another color is most likely alcohol. If you cannot tell, keep the thermometer contained and ask your local collection authority how to handle it. More detail is available on EPA’s mercury thermometer page.
What should I do if a mercury thermometer breaks?
EPA’s small-spill procedure is for a quantity no more than, or similar to, the amount in a thermometer. It is not a general procedure for a larger spill. For a thermometer-sized spill, keep people and pets away, isolate and ventilate the room, and avoid spreading the mercury.
- Clear and isolate the room. Have people and pets leave without crossing the spill, and keep children out of the cleanup. Open windows and doors to the outdoors; close doors leading to other parts of the home.
- Do not use a vacuum, broom, or drain. Never vacuum mercury, sweep it with a broom, wash it down a drain, or walk around in shoes that may have contacted it. EPA warns that vacuuming puts mercury into the air and increases exposure.
- Use the method suited to the surface. EPA describes cleanup for smooth surfaces such as tile, linoleum, and wood. Carpet, upholstery, and curtains are absorbent materials and need more caution: treat affected material as contaminated waste, and remove only the affected portion of carpet.
- Collect and contain cleanup waste. EPA lists supplies including gloves, paper towels, cardboard or a squeegee, an eyedropper, zip-top and thick trash bags, duct tape or shaving cream with a small brush, and a flashlight or task light. Powdered sulfur is optional; EPA says it may help reveal and bind small beads, but it can stain fabric and should not be inhaled. It is not a required cleanup product.
- Get local disposal directions. Bag the mercury and contaminated cleanup materials, place the bag outside in a secured area, and label it as directed by local health or fire officials. Ask those officials or your municipal waste authority where it must go.
- Ventilate after cleanup. If the cleanup was successful, continue ventilating the area to the outdoors for at least 24 hours and keep children and pets out during that time.
For the complete, surface-specific instructions, use EPA’s thermometer-break guidance. If anyone becomes ill, seek medical care. For exposure questions, EPA lists Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
What if the spill is larger than a thermometer’s contents?
Do not use the small-spill procedure for a larger release. Leave the area, open doors and windows to the outdoors, and contact your local health department as soon as possible; after hours, call the local fire department. EPA says a release of one pound or more—about two tablespoons of mercury—must be reported to the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802. Follow EPA’s instructions for spills larger than a thermometer amount.
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How do I find a mercury disposal option near me?
Start with your city or county waste authority, household hazardous waste program, or local environmental or health agency. Ask whether the specific device is accepted and check the details before traveling:
- Does the program accept this type of thermometer or other mercury-containing item?
- Is drop-off available year-round, or only at scheduled collection events? Is an appointment required?
- What container and labeling does the program require, and does it charge a fee?
- Does it provide a mercury-device exchange or another local option?
EPA notes that mercury-containing household products can include fever, oven, candy, and meat thermometers, as well as devices such as thermostats and manometers. Do not assume that acceptance of one kind of item means a program accepts all mercury-containing devices.
What should I use instead of a mercury thermometer?
EPA recommends mercury-free thermometers, including battery- or solar-powered digital fever thermometers. Choose one that is easy to use and read, and check its battery type and the local disposal route for that battery. Some battery-powered models use button-cell batteries that may contain a small amount of mercury and should be taken through hazardous-waste collection. EPA does not endorse, certify, or approve a particular brand.
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