Johnstone Supply leads TRC mercury thermostat recycling contest

Johnstone Supply is leading Thermostat Recycling Corp.’s 2026 Banish Mercury Off the Planet contest as of Aug. 26, with the program tracking 45 pounds of mercury recycled from 5,204 thermostats through July. TRC says winners will be announced in December after the contest ends Oct. 31.

Why it matters: - The contest is helping keep mercury-containing thermostats out of landfills and move them into proper recycling. - TRC says the program supports a cleaner, safer environment by recovering mercury from old thermostats across the U.S. - The effort also gives wholesalers a direct role in collection and recycling.

What happened: - Johnstone Supply leads Thermostat Recycling Corp.’s 2026 Banish Mercury Off the Planet contest as of Aug. 26. - R.E. Michel Co. is in second place. - F.W. Webb is in third place. - TRC said the contest began May 1 and runs through Oct. 31. - TRC will announce the winners in December.

The details: - Johnstone Supply has collected 18.6 pounds of mercury. - R.E. Michel Co. has collected 4.9 pounds. - F.W. Webb has collected 3.8 pounds. - Through July, TRC reports 45 pounds of mercury have been recycled from 5,204 thermostats. - The mercury came from 39 wholesalers and 135 branches. - Danielle Myers, TRC’s executive director, said the competition shows continued strong participation from wholesalers. - Myers said partners remain committed to recovering and safely recycling mercury-containing thermostats. - TRC says it is urging all partners to participate during the final stretch of the contest.

Between the lines: - The leaderboard suggests a small group of wholesalers is driving much of the early collection volume. - With more than two months left, the contest still has time for standings to change. - TRC’s long-running network and collection infrastructure appear central to the program’s reach. - The organization says it has more than 3,600 collection sites nationwide and has recovered more than 3 million thermostats containing 14 tons of mercury since 1998.

What's next: - Wholesalers can keep collecting thermostats until the Oct. 31 deadline. - TRC will name the contest winners in December. - TRC says it continues to cover transport and disposal costs for recovered mercury switch thermostats. - More information is available in the organization's announcement.