Mercury, a hazardous material found in many common household items, can be safely recycled by local health departments, according to this public service announcement from the Michigan Department of Community Health.
“Mercury that is recycled will be purified so that it can be used for industrial and laboratory applications,” said department toxicologist Christina Bush, “There are some instances where mercury is the best or only option to use. But mercury-containing items in homes, schools, and medical settings can be replaced with safer alternatives.”
Additional information on the safe disposal of mercury, as well as the health risks the substance presents, can be found at the health department’s mercury website.
The full series of health department mercury PSAs can be found here.