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Automobile recyclers in Washington have been collecting mercury switches from the hoods and trunks of scrap vehicles since 2006. More than 120,000 switches have been removed. This is the equivalent of 265 pounds of this toxic chemical prevented from entering the environment. It is a goal of the program to remove most mercury auto switches over the next 10 years.
Participating auto recyclers are reimbursed $3.00 per light switch and $9.00 per ABS sensor. Free collection buckets, transportation, and disposal are provided for the switches. 
The links below offer more information.
Vehicle Recycler Sign Up (PDF) form is here for the Washington Auto Mercury Switch Removal Program. Most of the Auto Recyclers in Washington are now part of the Switch Removal Program. Join them.
Mercury Switch-Removal Guide is an Ecology publication that details about how to remove these switches.
Removal of vehicle mercury switch assemblies is a simple two-page fact sheet from Ecology on how to safely remove mercury switch assemblies and what to do with them.
Hoja Informativa: Retiro de los interruptores de mercurio de los automóviles esta un publicación de Ecology por los recicladores de automóviles.
Request switch-removal video or DVD from Jan Brydsen or watch:
The 48 Second Solution (50MB), a mercury-switch-removal video from the Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality.
Label for switch container (PDF) is a copy of the bucket label, ready to download and print.
The Mercury Switch Removal Poster is appropriate to display in vehicle recycling facilities.
Auto recyclers help state collect toxic mercury from salvaged cars is a news release from Ecology from December 2009.
For more information, contact Jan Brydsen at jbry461@ecy.wa.gov or call 509-575-2477.
Mercury Toxicity and Its Effects offers more details about this poison.
Educational Materials are available from End of Life Vehicle Solutions (ELVS).
Poster of Typical Devices Accepted by ELVS is an illustrated guide to what recyclers should collect.
The Memorandum of Understanding (PDF) is a copy of the MOU that created the Washington State Switch Removal Program.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
