Hospitals can solve their greatest mercury waste and acute mercury exposure problems simply by replacing mercury thermometers with digital alternatives. If mercury is not used, spills will not occur.

Several short-term options exist for safe storage of historical waste, waste from mercury devices that are taken out of use, the ongoing collection of dental amalgam waste, and waste from digital thermometer batteries.

Options include on-site storage, extended producer responsibility, national regulations, collection programs, and global guidelines.

There is no simple solution to the mercury waste problem. The preferred scenario is one where mercury and mercury-containing products are no longer used, and the mercury in use is collected and no longer returned to the marketplace in products.