Summary of Mercury Control Ordinance | Environmental Protection Department

Supply of regulated mercury-added products will be prohibited on or after 1 December 2024.

Prohibition on Export or Import of Mercury

A person must not export or import Part 1 chemicals as shown in Table 1 except under an export or import permit.

Table 1 – Part 1 Chemicals

	Type
1	Mercury
2	Mercury mixture (a mixture, having a mercury concentration of at least 95% by weight, of mercury and other substances (including alloys of mercury))

Part 1 chemicals fulfilling the conditions in Table 2 can be exempted from the export or import permit control.

Table 2 – Exemption Conditions for Export / Import of Part 1 Chemicals

Exempted Use	Mode of Transportation	Exempted Quantity (Total Quantity of Mercury in the Type of Chemical to which the Chemical Belongs)
Part 1 chemical is exported or imported for use for laboratory-scale research or as a reference standard	In each package or container	≤250 g
	In single shipment	≤5 kg

Prohibition on Keeping or Use of Mercury or Mercury Compounds

A person must not keep or use Part 2 chemicals as shown in Table 3 except under a possession permit.

Table 3 – Part 2 Chemicals

	Type
1	Mercury
2	Mercury mixture (a mixture, having a mercury concentration of at least 95% by weight, of mercury and other substances (including alloys of mercury))
3	Mercury(I) chloride (Hg₂Cl₂, Chemical Abstracts Service registry number 10112-91-1)
4	Mercury(II) oxide (HgO, Chemical Abstracts Service registry number 21908-53-2)
5	Mercury(II) sulphate (HgSO₄, Chemical Abstracts Service registry number 7783-35-9)
6	Mercury(II) nitrate (Hg(NO₃)₂, Chemical Abstracts Service registry number 10045-94-0 or 7783-34-8)
7	Mercury sulphide (HgS, Chemical Abstracts Service registry number 1344-48-5)
8	Cinnabar

Part 2 chemicals fulfilling the conditions in Table 4 can be exempted from the possession permit control.

Table 4 – Exemption Conditions for Keeping Part 2 Chemicals

Exempted Use	Premises for Keeping the Chemicals	Exempted Quantity (Total Quantity of Mercury in the Type of Chemical to which the Chemical Belongs)
Part 2 chemical is kept for use, or used for laboratory-scale research or as a reference standard	One single laboratory (if the chemical is kept or used in a specified laboratory as defined by section 8 of the Ordinance)	≤500 g

Remark: If 2 or more separate specified laboratories are situated on the same floor of a building, and the operation of those laboratories is supervised by the same person (whether alone or jointly with another person), those laboratories are regarded as a single laboratory.

Prohibition on Export, Import or Manufacture of Regulated Mercury-Added Products

A person must not export, import or manufacture regulated mercury-added products as shown in Table 5.
A person must not incorporate a regulated mercury-added product into another thing as a component.
A person must not supply regulated mercury-added products, including online exhibiting for supplying, on or after 1 December 2024.
The storage or use of regulated mercury-added products does not constitute an offence.

Table 5 – Regulated mercury-added products

	Description of Regulated Mercury-added Product
1	Battery, other than— (a) button zinc silver oxide battery having a mercury content of less than 2% by weight; or (b) button zinc air battery having a mercury content of less than 2% by weight.
2	Switch and relay, other than— (a) very high accuracy capacitance and loss measurement bridge having a mercury content not exceeding 20 mg per bridge; or (b) high frequency radio frequency switch and relay, having a mercury content not exceeding 20 mg per switch or relay, in a monitoring and control instrument.
3	Compact fluorescent lamp for general lighting that— (a) has a power output not exceeding 30 W; and (b) has a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp.
4	Linear fluorescent lamp for general lighting that— (a) that— (i) is made of triband phosphor; (ii) has a power output of less than 60 W; and (iii) has a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp; or (b) that— (i) is made of halophosphate phosphor; (ii) has a power output not exceeding 40 W; and (iii) has a mercury content exceeding 10 mg per lamp.
5	High pressure mercury vapour lamp for general lighting.
6	Cold cathode fluorescent lamp, and external electrode fluorescent lamp, for electronic display— (a) that— (i) has a length not exceeding 500 mm; and (ii) has a mercury content exceeding 3.5 mg per lamp; (b) that— (i) has a length exceeding 500 mm but not exceeding 1500 mm; and (ii) has a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp; or (c) that— (i) has a length exceeding 1500 mm; and (ii) has a mercury content exceeding 13 mg per lamp.
7	Cosmetics having a mercury content exceeding 1 ppm— (a) including skin lightening soap and cream; and (b) excluding a cosmetic product that is intended by its manufacturer to be applied only in the vicinity of the eyes and— (i) that contains mercury as preservative; (ii) for which no effective and safe substitute for preservative is available; and (iii) that has a mercury content not exceeding 70 ppm.
8	Biocide and topical antiseptic.
9	The following non-electronic measuring devices— (a) barometer; (b) hygrometer; (c) manometer; (d) thermometer; (e) sphygmomanometer, other than one that is installed in large-scale equipment, or used for high precision measurement, and for which no suitable mercury-free alternative is available in the market.

Prohibition on Manufacturing Processes in which Mercury or Mercury Compounds are used

A person must not carry out regulated manufacturing processes as shown in Table 6.

Table 6 – Regulated Manufacturing Processes

	Description of Regulated Manufacturing Process
1	Acetaldehyde production in which mercury or mercury compounds are used as a catalyst.
2	Polyurethane production in which catalysts that contain mercury are used.
3	Sodium or potassium methylate or ethylate production in which mercury or mercury compounds are used.
4	Vinyl chloride monomer production in which mercury or mercury compounds are used.
5	Chlor-alkali production in which mercury or mercury compounds are used.

Resources

Poster and Leaflet

Recycling of Domestic Mercury-containing Thermometers and Sphygmomanometers