Connecticut’s laws on recycling beverage containers have evolved since the nickel deposit law was first adopted in the battle against litter more than 45 years ago. Its newest update went into effect Oct. 1, creating penalties if large amounts are redeemed in Connecticut without paying a deposit here first.
Connecticut has had some growing pains with its first-in-the-region 10-cent deposit on cans and bottles since it was enacted in January 2024 with a soaring redemption rate that has distributors losing money to redeem containers for people who purchased drinks out-of-state.
It’s quite plain to the beverage industry and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection that containers from outside the state, such as New York, where bottles and cans are redeemed for a nickel, and Rhode Island where there isn’t a cash redemption, have resulted in a sharp influx of out-of-state redemptions at supermarkets and regional recycling centers.