This year’s winners helped divert more than 57 pounds of mercury from solid waste.

During HARDI’s annual meeting in Maui Oct. 24, Thermostat Recycling Corp.’s Executive Director Mark Tibbetts recognized three HVACR distributors for their efforts to promote TRC’s program to help reduce mercury pollution.

“During the summer months, this year’s winners helped divert over 57 pounds of mercury from solid waste through their collection efforts,” he said.

The Mercury Thermostat Recycling Awards program recognizes the contribution of HARDI wholesale distributors who demonstrate a commitment to the environment by promoting thermostat recycling and helping keep mercury out of the waste stream.

The winners are:

Mercury Thermostat Promoter Award - Baker Distributing Co., Jacksonville, Fla.
Baker Distributing is collecting mercury thermostats at more than 220 locations nationwide. Recognizing success requires program awareness both internally and externally; Baker implemented a campaign that targeted both employees and customers.  Baker Distributing reached external audiences via a number of channels including its monthly newsletter and statements, TRC promotional materials in all Baker locations and a TRC banner ad on its homepage (www.Bakerdist.com). 
Baker also educated its employees about the program through its quarterly sustainability newsletter and monthly employee newsletter.

Mercury Thermostat Promoter Award - Johnson Supply, Houston
Johnson Supply is collecting mercury thermostats at its 23 locations throughout Texas and Louisiana. Each location has the recycling container in a visible location, all its employees are very familiar with the program, and they work to educate customers on the importance and impact of the TRC program. 
Among other promotional activities, Johnson Supply added a tag line to each invoice stating its thermostat recycling efforts, and in August 2011 promoted the program through a $1 credit on their Johnson Supply Tool Card for each thermostat returned.  Johnson Supply also included a full-color print advertisement in its summer catalog, seen by thousands of its customers.

Mercury Thermostat Recycling Heavyweight Award & Pound-for-Pound Award - USAirconditioning Distributors
USAirconditioning Distributors is collecting mercury thermostats at its 43 locations in the western United States and Florida. It has actively promoted the recycling of mercury thermostats and its customers have embraced the program. During the summer months, USAirconditioning locations shipped TRC more than 2,100 waste mercury thermostats, keeping 29 pounds of mercury out of solid waste. 
More than half of the thermostats came from the City of Industry location, yielding 17 pounds of mercury. As such, US Airconditioning Distributors is recognized not only for its total contributions to the program, but also for the efforts of its City of Industry location.

Source: HARDI.