Thermostat Recycling Corp. 2023 Contest to Ban Mercury Thermostats Begins

New York, New York — Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) has launched its 12th annual Banish Mercury Off the Planet (BMOP) competition. 

The contest recognizes members of Heating Air-Conditioning Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) that collect the most mercury-containing thermostats. 

HARDI is the largest and most successful trade association representing HVACR distributors in the United States.

“We have developed a hugely popular campaign for more than a decade which highlights HARDI distributors who have persistently worked at removing and safely recycling mercury-containing thermostats,” said Danielle Myers, executive director, TRC. “Our green collection buckets have been identified with HARDI wholesalers throughout the country, and it is a visual reminder of their efforts at keeping the environment safer for everyone.”

The BMOP contest begins May 1 and concludes Oct. 31. 

HARDI members do not have to sign up to enter the contest. They only have to return thermostats collected through the green bins TRC places in HARDI wholesale member branches throughout the United States. 

HARDI members are in every state and have collection bins where their customers — HVACR contractors — can conveniently deposit the thermostats.

The Banish Mercury Off the Planet contest, originally called the Big Man on the Planet, until 2018, recognizes winners in three categories:

• Distributor that recycles the most pounds of mercury overall.
• Distributor that recycles the highest average pounds of mercury (total pounds divided by branch count locations that submitted a collection bin).
• Distributor with the highest participation rate (for distributors with more than 10 locations).

TRC will announce the winners of each category at HARDI’s annual conference, Dec. 2 to 5, 2023, in Phoenix. AZ.