Want a Mercury Reduction Program in Your Area?

You can do many things to help decrease the amount of mercury entering the environment in your area. The most common programs are mercury thermometer exchange programs, mercury collection days, public education about mercury issues, and mercury reduction pledges for businesses and organizations. This page contains information to help you decide which type of program or programs would work best for your locale, and give you some of the tools you need for successful mercury reduction.

Tryon, N.C.: A Case Study

Extensive efforts by the town of Tryon to locate industrial or historical sources of mercury in their wastewater treatment system were unsuccessful. In 2001, Tryon launched a public education and mercury reduction campaign to further address the problem. As part of this campaign, six articles on mercury were published in the local paper in the weeks leading up to a Mercury Collection Day Event. Additionally, area businesses were asked to sign the Silver Star Mercury Reduction Pledge. Following the event, Tryon has had no further problems meeting its wastewater permit's mercury limit. The articles, pledge, advertisements for the event, a press release, and a complete case study summary are linked below. 

• Press release: State/Local Partnership Assists Town of Tryon in Mercury Reduction Efforts
• Case study

A series of six articles about mercury:

• General mercury information
• Health effects of mercury
• Mercury in North Carolina
• Industrial and institutional uses of mercury
• Mercury in the home
• Mercury in Tryon

Silver Star Mercury Reduction Pledge

Tryon newspaper advertisements

• Collection event ad: Town to Hold Mercury Collection Event
• Silver Star ad: Tryon Businesses Voluntarily Pledge to Reduce Mercury

Gastonia, N.C.: A Case Study

In the summer of 2002, the city of Gastonia held a mercury collection and thermometer exchange event. Four articles on mercury ran in the local paper in the weeks leading up to the event. A case study of the event, an advertising flier, and an informational brochure handed out at the event are linked below.

Case study

Brochure: Mercury, You, Your Health, and Your Home. A general brochure for public information on mercury health impacts, locations mercury is found in the home, and what to do in case of home mercury spills. Gastonia handed this brochure out to the public at its mercury collection event.

Flier: Is MERCURY Lurking in Your Home? A flier announcing Gastonia's mercury collection and thermometer exchange event.