Mercury Switch

I replaced my old door bell and found that it was a mercury switch.  Now back in the day it was fun running balls of mercury over desk tops but it seems to be regarded as a hazard now.

Being good I rang the county council to check about disposal as mercury was not on their hazard list.  They had no idea how to dispose on mercury so passed me on to the environmental protection agency.  They had no reasonable suggestion.  I then asked the man in the recycle center.  "Ive no idea mate".

So there you are.  Still it is a nice example of the Physics I learned at "O" level.