Thermostat Recycling Contest Begins for 2022

New York, New York — Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) has launched its 11th 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.

“Despite the disruption and inconvenience of the coronavirus pandemic, HARDI wholesalers continued to demonstrate their commitment to safely collecting and recycling mercury-containing thermostats,” said Danielle Myers, operations and compliance manager, TRC. “The success that TRC has experienced through several decades rests largely on the shoulders of our wholesalers, whose dedication to a clean and safe environment has been overwhelming. For that reason, we applaud all HARDI wholesalers that participate in the collection process.”

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

HARDI members do not have to sign up to enter the contest. All they must do is return thermostats collected through the bins that 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 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 publicly recognize the winners of each category at HARDI’s annual conference, Dec. 3 to 6, 2022, in Houston, Texas. 

Previous winners of the contest are: 

2021:  Johnstone Supply, Famous Supply, Geary Pacific

2020: Johnstone Supply, APCO Inc. and Allied Refrigeration

2019: Johnstone Supply, Dubuque Supply and Johnson Supply

2018: Johnstone Supply, Meier Supply Co., and Johnson Supply

2017: Johnstone Supply, Tower Equipment, Johnson Supply

2016: Johnstone Supply, Gustave Larson, Auer Steel

2015: Auer Steel, Johnson Supply, US Air Conditioning Distributors, and Johnstone Supply

2014: Corken Steel Products, Crescent Parts & Equipment, and Johnstone Supply

2013: Johnstone Supply

2012: Johnson Supply