But RWS burns everything that comes through its gates, including products containing mercury. In order to meet new federal and state standards for air emissions, the incinerator installed new equipment last year. State law now limits mercury pollution to no more than 100 pounds per source annually, a figure that will drop to 50 pounds in 2004. Arienti said early data show the facility's new system has reduced mercury emissions by 90 percent, from several hundred pounds per year to 20 to 30 pounds. The only way to stop that is to eliminate products containing mercury.
Consumers can do their part by asking retailers if their products contain mercury.
That's particularly important when making major purchases, such as an automobile. Bender said cars have electrical switches containing mercury. The major manufacturers have been promising since 1995 to replace those switches with mercury-free ones, Bender said, but have not yet done it, even though the added cost is just 9 cents each. But don't expect fluorescent lightbulbs to disappear from the shelves. Due to heavy lobbying by industry representatives, fluorescents do not have to be labeled.