Washington, D.C — Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) is launching its 13th annual Banish Mercury Off the Planet competition (BMOP). This prestigious contest applauds the efforts of wholesalers within Heating Air-Conditioning Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) who lead in collecting mercury-containing thermostats.

HARDI stands as the largest and most influential trade association representing HVACR distributors across the United States.

“We have enormous appreciation and praise for our partners at HARDI for their steadfast commitment to collecting mercury-containing thermostats,” said Danielle Myers, Executive Director, TRC. “Their unwavering dedication and resilience are pivotal in advancing our shared mission of fostering a cleaner environment, thermostat by thermostat.”

The BMOP competition officially begins May 1 and runs through Oct. 31. HARDI members are automatically enrolled upon returning thermostats collected through TRC's designated bins, strategically placed in HARDI wholesale member branches nationwide. With branches in every state, HARDI members offer convenient drop off points for HVACR contractors, enabling easy disposal of these thermostats.

The Banish Mercury Off the Planet contest, previously known as the Big Man on Planet until 2018, acknowledges winners across three distinct categories:

- Distributor recycling the highest poundage of mercury overall.
- Distributor with the highest average pounds of mercury per branch location.
- Distributor demonstrating the highest participation rate (for distributors with over 10 locations).

TRC will publicly recognize the winners of each category at HARDI's annual conference, scheduled for December 7 to 10, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Previous winners of the contest are:

2023: Johnstone Supply, Refrigeration Sales Corp. and Sigler Wholesale Distributors.
2022: Johnstone Supply, Progress Supply and Allied Refrigeration.
2021: Johnstone Supply, Famous Supply and 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

Thermostat Recycling Corp., founded in 1998, is an industry-funded nonprofit corporation supported by 28 manufacturers that historically branded and sold mercury thermostats in the United States. TRC maintains a network of more than 3,600 collection sites nationwide and has recovered more than 3 million thermostats containing 14 tons of mercury since its inception. TRC assumes all costs to transport and properly dispose of mercury switch thermostats recovered from service. To learn more about TRC, visit www.thermostat-recycle.org.