TThe Law: Mercury is a potent neurotoxin. Vermont law strictly bans all mercury-added products from landfills. This includes manual “round” thermostats, mercury thermometers, and all fluorescent light bulbs.

🌡️ Mercury Thermostats: Get $5 Back!

Old manual thermostats (the kind with a glass ampoule of silver liquid inside) are a major source of mercury.

  • The Incentive: Under the Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) program, you can receive a $5 rebate for every mercury-switch thermostat you recycle.

  • How to get paid: Bring your intact thermostat to a SWAC HHW Event or the Gleason Road HW Facility. Fill out the rebate coupon at the site to receive your $5 check by mail.

💡 Fluorescent Bulbs (CFLs and Tubes)

Important: SWAC Town Transfer Stations DO NOT accept fluorescent bulbs.

A. Intact Bulbs (Free Retail Drop-Off) The following hardware stores participate in a free take-back program for residents. They generally accept compact (CFL) bulbs and up to 10 long tubes per visit at no charge.

  • Aubuchon Ace Hardware (Rutland): 261 North Main St | (802) 773-2758

  • Aubuchon Hardware (Fair Haven): 70 Main St | (802) 265-3677

  • Aubuchon Hardware (Brandon): 10 Park St | (802) 247-6059

  • LaValley Building Supply (Rutland): 48 Windcrest Rd | (802) 775-0834

  • Gilmore Home Center (Bomoseen): 427 VT-4A | (802) 468-5676

  • The Home Depot (Rutland): 299 US-4 | (802) 786-6900 (Accepts CFL “curly” bulbs only; no tubes).

B. Broken Bulbs (Household Hazardous Waste) If a bulb breaks, it is classified as hazardous waste and is accepted at SWAC HHW Events.

  • Clean-up: Do not vacuum or sweep. Use stiff paper to scoop up debris and sticky tape for small fragments.

  • Packaging: Place all debris and cleaning materials in a sealable plastic bag or glass jar and label it “Hazardous: Mercury Debris.”

  • Disposal: Bring the sealed container to a SWAC HHW Event or the Gleason Road HW Facility (14 Gleason Rd, Rutland).

Note on Fees: While new Vermont EPR laws are designed to reduce disposal costs, fees may still apply at the Gleason Road facility for certain items or quantities. Please check their current rate schedule before arriving.

⚠️ Other Mercury Devices

The following items are accepted at SWAC HHW Events and the Gleason Road HW Facility:

  • Thermometers: Fever, candy, and laboratory thermometers with silver liquid.

  • Switches & Relays: Often found in old appliances, chest freezers, and silent light switches.

  • Neon Signs: All glass tubing containing neon/mercury gas.

Mercury Thermostats & Other Devices:

Other mercury-containing items like tilt-style thermostats and glass thermometers are accepted at SWAC HHW Collection Events.

  • Get Paid to Recycle: Recycling an old mercury-switch thermostat can earn you a $5.00 rebate. Visit the Thermostat Recycling Corporation for more details on claiming your incentive.

💡 Tips and Tricks

  • LEDs are Different: Modern LED bulbs do not contain mercury. While they are not banned from the trash, they contain circuitry that makes them great candidates for E-waste recycling at Gleason Road.

  • The “Box” Rule: When taking long tubes to hardware stores or Gleason Road, keep them in the original cardboard sleeves to prevent breakage in your car.

  • Bulk Disposal: If you are a business with a large quantity of bulbs, contact a commercial lamp recycler or use a mail-back kit found on LampRecycle.org.