Since its passage in 1978, Connecticut’s bottle bill has spawned significant policy debate. This occurred primarily between environmental groups, beverage distributors, and retailers. As the Connecticut legislature continues to expand and strengthen the state’s bottle redemption program, it remains a growing area of interest within Connecticut lobbying, government affairs, and public sector consulting.
If this policy area impacts your organization, business, or industry, please contact our Government Relations Team through our Contact Page.
1978: Connecticut’s Bottle Bill Passed
Connecticut was one of the early states to enact a bottle deposit system. Under the new law, consumers would pay a 5-cent deposit on beer, malt beverages, soft drinks, and carbonated mineral water. This which would go into effect on January 1, 1980. The deposit would then be refunded when the containers were returned for redemption. Supporters of the original bill argued that the bill would reduce litter and promote higher recycling rates. Opponents argued that the system would be expensive to administer, and consumers would face higher beverage costs.
As consumer behavior changed and other beverages and water bottles became more popular, Connecticut lawmakers tried several times for nearly 30 years to expand the original bottle bill beyond beer and carbonated soft drinks, but most proposals failed.
2009: First Major Expansion of Connecticut’s Bottle Bill and Redirect of Unclaimed Deposits
Connecticut’s bottle redemption law was expanded to include bottled water, including flavored and enhanced waters. In 2009, Connecticut also faced a significant state budget shortfall. To help combat this shortfall, the Connecticut legislature redirected unclaimed bottle deposits (escheats) to the state’s general fund.
2021: Modernization of Connecticut’s Bottle Bill
In 2021, the Connecticut General Assembly enacted the most comprehensive update to Connecticut’s bottle law in decades. It expanded coverage to include juices, tea, coffee drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, kombucha, hard cider, and certain hard seltzers. It also created new redemption infrastructure requirements. During the 2021 debate on the modernization of the law, supportive lawmakers argued that the original 1978 law had become outdated and needed to be expanded to reflect the current beverage consumption behavior.
2024: Deposits Increased in Connecticut
With the hope of higher redemption rates and litter reduction, Connecticut lawmakers increased the deposit on eligible containers from 5-cents to 10-cents. The increase to 10-cents significantly increased redemption returns but raised concerns about consumers bringing containers from neighboring states to redeem in Connecticut. In 2025, the bottle redemption rate is at 97%.
2026: New Policy to Combat Redemption Fraud
To address out of state bottle redemption fraud, the legislature enacted legislation that would, among other things, limit bulk transactions, put criminal penalties in place.
Connecticut Government Relations Outlook on the Bottle Bill Policies
The discussion surrounding Connecticut’s bottle bill is expected to continue as lawmakers and environmental advocates continue to highlight the effectiveness of the program while continuing to look for ways to enhance the law to reduce litter and increase recycling rates.
For businesses, municipalities, associations, and organizations engaged in Connecticut government relations, lobbying, environmental policy, and legislative affairs, Connecticut’s bottle bill remains an important issue to monitor as consumer behavior evolves.
If you want to learn more about this or other issues impacting your business or organization, please reach out through our Contact Page.
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Written by Scott DeVico
Edited and Published by Dan Baribault