Thermostat Recycling Corp.’s Recycling Program Declines 19%

ohnstone Supply Leads TRC’s 1st Quarter Thermostat Recycling Efforts

New York, New York — Thermostat Recycling Corp. (TRC) collections have decreased 18.68% in its first-quarter collection efforts between Jan. 1 and March 31. It collected 39,611 mercury-containing thermostats compared with 48,709 during the same period in 2019.

The average number of bins processed has declined by 17.42%, from 890 to 735.

The average number of whole thermostats per bin has remained the same at 44.

Johnstone Supply led the first quarter list of wholesale branch collection locations where at least one thermostat was recycled, followed by R.E. Michel and United Refrigeration. The top 10 list and the number of thermostats they collected are:

Johnstone Supply                   2,571

R. E. Michel Co.                    1,585

United Refrigeration                  608

Wheelabrator                           427

Rise Engineering                        410

Lennox                                      383

F.W. Webb                                 350

Ferguson                                   339

Covanta – Semass                    283

Franklin Energy Services           266

“Our declining collections should be unsurprising given the beginning impact of the coronavirus during the first quarter,” said Danielle Myers, operations and compliance manager, TRC.

“While we do not predict trends of future collections, given the present circumstances, it is reasonable to expect a decline in the second quarter.  However, it is important to remind our partners that we remain diligent in our efforts to collect and safely recycle whatever mercury-containing thermostats remain in the pipeline. Our goal never changes: A safer environment for all.”

First quarter results show that Massachusetts led collection efforts with 3,829 units, followed by Pennsylvania with 2,709; Illinois with 2,596; Minnesota with 2,259 units; and California with 1,581.

The recycling process gains momentum again when TRC launches its annual BMOP competition May 1. This six-month competition identifies the top wholesalers in the HVACR industry that participate in the recycling efforts.

In 2018, TRC rebranded the competition as Banish Mercury Off the Planet. Wholesalers can learn about the competition at https://www.trcprod.wpengine.com/bmop. TRC recognizes winners at HARDI’s annual conference in December in Atlanta.

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About TRC

Thermostat Recycling Corp., founded in 1998, is an industry-funded nonprofit corporation supported by 30 manufacturers that historically branded and sold mercury thermostats in the United States. TRC maintains a network of more than 3,600 collection sites nationwide and has recovered more than 2.5 million thermostats, containing 12 tons of mercury, since its inception. TRC assumes all costs to transport and properly dispose of mercury switch thermostats recovered from service. Learn more about TRC at trcprod.wpengine.com.