State offering grants to increase bottle, can redemption centers

Before the deposit on returnable cans and bottles in Connecticut doubles to 10 cents and the types of redeemable containers expands, the state is offering grants to foster more redemption centers in cities and other underserved areas.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection program is meant to establish more return facilities in urban centers and environmental justice communities. Awards of up to $150,000 for each redemption center must be used for infrastructure and initial operating expenses, among other costs.

Preference will be given to locally owned and minority- and womenowned businesses and first-time redemption center owners, DEEP officials said. Municipalities and regional government councils also are eligible to apply.

The deposit on beer, soda and other drink containers — 5 cents for more than 40 years — will increase to 10 cents on Jan. 1, 2024. Also, the types of containers covered by the state’s bottle bill are to expand on Jan. 1, 2023 to cover juices, teas, coffees and sports drinks, among other types.

Doubling the deposit, lawmakers have said, will boost purchasers’ incentive to return containers and cut down on litter and environmental harm. The two states that now have 10-cent deposits, Michigan and Oregon, have much higher redemption rates than Connecticut, where only 50% of bottles and cans are redeemed. The other half end up on roadsides, in the trash or in curbside recycling bins.

“We are seeing the worst redemption rate of any bottle-bill state in the nation,’’ Sen. Christine Cohen, co-chairwoman of the legislature’s environment committee, said in June. “We certainly have a trash crisis in the state of Connecticut, and it’s all at the cost of our environment.’’

“Connecticut’s bottle bill program is a powerful tool for reducing litter and promoting recycling in our state, and the key to its success is in providing convenient access to redemption for everyone in our state,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said.

The grant program, Dykes said, “will not only help us meet our environmental goals, but also advance business development opportunities for members of under-served communities.”

According to the DEEP website, “Redemption Centers are private businesses that work with distributors of carbonated beverages to redeem bottles and cans with a deposit value. Although consumers can bring these bottles to retail outlets (stores must take back the brands that they offer for sale), many groups that collect large quantities of cans/ bottles for fundraising activities will bring their collected items to a redemption center.”

On another front in the battle against litter, the state established a 5-cent surcharge on the miniature liquor bottles known as nippers, beginning Oct. 1. The little plastic and glass bottles are not subject to the bottle bill and cannot be redeemed. Rather, wholesalers

remit collected fees to municipalities every April, and municipal officials are urged to spend the money on reducing the impact of litter.

Applications for the redemption center grant program will be accepted from Jan. 1 to May 30. Applicants should consider proximity to existing redemption centers and other proposed new redemption centers; safe pedestrian access; proximity to public

transportation; population density surrounding the site; and volume of beverage containers sold in the area.

For more information, visit portal.ct.gov/deep.