Can you recycle mercury thermometers?

Old mercury thermometers (and mercury barometers) contain toxic liquid mercury and must go, intact and well-wrapped, to the household hazardous point at your recycling centre — ring ahead as some sites want notice. If one breaks: don't vacuum or touch the mercury; ventilate, pick up beads with card and tape into a sealed jar, and take that to the recycling centre. Digital thermometers are small WEEE (battery out first).

Tips

• Never vacuum spilled mercury — it vaporises
• Wrap and box the thermometer for transport
• Digital thermometers = small electricals + battery bin

Which bin does it go in?

Recycling centre hazardous/chemical point, intact and boxed — never bins

Background: Batteries, vapes & electricals: the fire-risk items.

Also searched as: mercury barometers, clinical thermometers.