The City of Knoxville will hold an Unwanted Medications Collection and Mercury Thermometer Exchange at EarthFest 2010 on April 17th, 2010 - 10 AM to 5 PM at Pellessippi State Community College.

This event will offer an opportunity for residents to turn in unwanted and out dated prescriptions, over the counter medicines and used mercury thermometers. Members of the Knoxville Police Department, City and County Solid Waste Offices, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, UT Academy of Student Pharmacists, and the Knox County Health Department will be on hand at EarthFest at Pellessippi State Community College to collect and properly dispose of the unwanted medicines on Saturday April 17th, 2010 - 10 AM to 5 PM. The empty plastic containers for the medicines will be recycled if left with the event organizers. This event will offer an opportunity for citizens to replace used mercury thermometers with battery-operated digital thermometers, provided by the sponsoring organizations. The digital thermometers will be available to the public at no cost, in exchange for used mercury thermometers. Residents may bring in as many used thermometers to exchange as they wish from family, friends or neighbors while supplies last.

Please do not bring outdoor thermometers with red liquid. They do not contain mercury, which is silver-colored. Thermometers with red liquid (colored alcohol) can be placed in your household trash.

Old or unused medicines should be brought to a collection event or, after the event to the Knoxville Police Department Safety Building at 800 Howard Baker Jr. Ave.

The thermometer exchange is limited to mercury thermometers from households; other type of mercury-containing waste such as old non-digital thermostats, barometers, manometers and other household mercury waste or devices should be brought to the Knoxville Household Hazardous Waste Center, where it will be accepted for disposal during business hours. The Household Hazardous Waste Center is free to residents of Knox County and City of Knoxville residents only and is located at 1033 Elm Street. The Center does not accept material from businesses, or residents from out side Knox County. Additional information about the Knoxville Household Hazardous Waste Center is available at 215-6700.

This event is sponsored by: Knox County Health Department, TN Department of Environment and Conservation,City of Knoxville Public Service Division, Knox County Solid Waste, Knoxville Police Department, UT Academy of Student Pharmacists and EarthFest.