University personnel can submit a Chemical Waste Collection Request to recycle a mercury thermometer by swapping it for a safer alcohol-filled thermometer. This exchange eliminates the risk of a mercury thermometer breaking, which can result in a costly cleanup and expose you to mercury, a potent neurotoxin.
Follow these steps to when submitting your Chemical Waste Collection Request:
- Place your thermometer(s) in a container (e.g., bag, bottle, box), and select the container type from the Type dropdown.
- Write the number of containers in the Quantity field.
- Add the estimated weight of the thermometer(s) in the Total Volume field (approximately 2 grams each) and select grams from the Unit dropdown.
- Click Add Container.
- Click List Chemical.
- Choose “MERCURY DEVICES” in the Chemical Name field, and update the Percent to 100.
- Click Add Chemical.
- Write in the Notes to EHS field “please provide alcohol thermometer” before you submit the form.
After you submit the form, a safety professional from EH&S Environmental Programs will collect the mercury thermometer(s) for safe disposal and deliver an alcohol-filled thermometer in exchange at no cost.