How to Dispose of a Mercury Thermometer (Broken or Not)

Is it mercury?

Per EPA's broken thermometer guide, if the liquid is any color other than silver, it isn't a mercury thermometer. Red or blue liquid is usually alcohol. Silver liquid might be mercury or a non-toxic look-alike. If you can't tell, treat it as mercury.

Disposing of an intact one

Following EPA's mercury storage and disposal page: put the thermometer in a container with a tight lid, pack kitty litter or other absorbent around it, and label it "Mercury - DO NOT OPEN". Carry it in the trunk or a pickup bed, and take it to household hazardous waste. Durham, NC's HHW program lists mercury thermometers as accepted, and most county HHW programs do too. EPA notes some states go further: Vermont bans all mercury-containing waste from landfills, including household waste. See the HHW guide.

Checked October 2026. Rules for this item vary by city and county, and fees and accepted items change. Check your local solid waste or household hazardous waste page, or call the site, before you haul.

If it breaks

From EPA:

Never use a vacuum or broom, and never pour mercury down a drain.
Keep children and pets out of the room. Open windows to the outside and close doors to the rest of the house.
Put on gloves and pick up the glass onto a paper towel.
Push the beads together with cardboard or a squeegee. A flashlight held low helps you spot them. Draw them up with an eyedropper, and use duct tape or shaving cream on a small brush for tiny beads.
Seal everything in zip-top bags, including the gloves, then put them in a trash bag and label it as your local health or fire department directs.
Keep the room ventilated for at least 24 hours.

Spills on carpet or upholstery mean cutting out and disposing of the affected piece. Call your local health department or waste authority about disposal. For health questions, call poison control at 1-800-222-1222.