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Mercury-containing Products
In recent years, there has been a growing focus on the need to decrease
the use of mercury in household and commercial products and to prevent
the mercury in existing products from entering the waste stream. Mercury
is present in many products, including fluorescent lamps, button batteries,
thermostats, thermometers and other medical devices, pressure gauges,
switches, relays, and dental supplies. When solid waste is burned in an
incinerator, the mercury that is present can be released to the atmosphere
and present a hazard to human health.
Several states have passed
legislation to reduce mercury in waste, relying on approaches such
as banning the sale of certain mercury-added products, requiring product
labeling, and implementing collection and recycling programs for some
products. Numerous stewardship efforts targeting a variety of mercury-containing
products have been initiated by government, industry, and non-governmental
organizations. Encouraging progress has been made on a number of fronts:
- Thermometers - Several states have banned the sale
of mercury thermometers, and additional states are considering similar
legislation. Additionally, several of the largest retail chains have
agreed to remove the product from their shelves.
- Thermostats - Thermostat
Recycling Corporation,
an effort coordinated by thermostat manufacturers and the National Electrical
Manufacturers Association, administers a program to collect used thermostats
and recover the mercury they contain.
- Fluorescent lamps - Since 1985, manufacturers have
reduced the average mercury content of a typical four-foot fluorescent
bulb by over 75 percent. Manufacturers are also researching mercury-free
alternatives.
- Mercury-containing components in vehicles - There
has been mounting pressure on automakers to stop using mercury-containing
components in new vehicles and to contribute to efforts to collect and
recover mercury components from existing and end-of-life vehicles. In
April 2002, the Maine legislature passed
the nation’s first law to mandate manufacturer responsibility
for the removal of mercury from vehicles. The Partnership
for Mercury-Free Vehicles
issued model legislation that includes many of the provisions from the
Maine law.
- Batteries - Federal and state legislation, including
the federal Mercury-Containing and
Rechargeable Battery Management Act of 1996, has prohibited or severely
restricted the sale of most types of mercury-containing batteries.
- Medical waste - EPA and the American Hospital Association
have signed a Memorandum
of Understanding that calls for the virtual elimination of mercury-containing
hospital wastes.
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