Time Range For Action Alert:
March 12, 2021 to March 19, 2021The Environment Committee has released SB 1037: An Act Concerning Solid Waste Management, the vehicle for this year’s Bottle Bill. The Public Hearing is scheduled for Friday, March 19.
Action is needed now to help the environment and lower costs to municipalities by diverting more recyclable materials from municipal waste.
STEP 1: Submit testimony in support of Senate Bill 1037.
Resources for Writing and Giving Testimony at Public Hearings:
Simple message template:
To: envtestimony [at] cga.ct.gov
Subject Line of Email: Support SB 1037
Honorable Environment Committee Members:
I am [Your Name] from [Town or Zip Code] and I write in support of SB 1037 which would update the Bottle Bill to help make recycling work, reduce litter, and lower costs to municipalities. Please vote "yes" on this bill and send it to the House and Senate for a vote.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Town or Zip Code]
STEP 2: Contact your legislators and ask them to co-sponsor the bill.
Not sure who your legislators are or how to contact them? Use the Connecticut Business & Industry Association lookup tool:
STEP 3: If one or more of your legislators is on the Environment Committee, ask the legislator to vote "yes" to advance the bill.
Here are a few highlights of the bill:
- Increases the deposit on covered containers from 5 to 10 cents. (Effective January 2022)
- Expands the program to cover non-carbonated beverages including juices, teas, sports drinks, kombucha, hard cider and liquor nips. (Effective July 2022)
- Raises the handling fee on covered containers to 3.5 cents. (Effective July of 2021)
- Brings wine and liquor into the program in 2024, unless DEEP certifies that more than 80% of wine and liquor beverage containers sold in CT during the 2023 calendar year were processed for use in glass or fiberglass products.
- Allows beverage distributor to keep 18%-20% of the unclaimed deposits, to help offset the cost of the handling fee raise.
- Includes a series of changes to update/modernize the existing statute to reflect current market practices.
Need more background? Read the LWVCT Testimony Submitted by Kathy Golas, Bottle Bill Specialist
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Issues referenced by this action alert:
