The bottle bill, substitute SB 1037: An Act Concerning Solid Waste Management is on the Senate Calendar, #0322, file #562. Thank you to the three Senators who have co-sponsored this bill thus far. We need more Senator cosponsors.
Action on the BOTTLE BILL is needed now. Connecticut can do better than our embarrassing 49% redemption rate, the lowest in the world!
SENATORS NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU.
The opposition is trying to gut the bill by
- Trying to change the 3.5 cent handling fee to 2.5 cents. At 2.5 cents we cannot count on keeping the existing redemption centers open, let alone seeing additional redemption centers open. Additional redemption centers offer jobs, convenient options for consumers, and help increase recycling/redemption rates.
- Trying to keep the deposit at 5 cents. Five cents is no longer enough of an incentive to redeem bottles and cans
- Trying to stop the expansion. Expanding the bill means more materials are recycled.
We need all three major provisions to meet the goals of the proposed legislation:
- the 3.5-cent handling fee,
- a 10-cent deposit, and
- expansion to include other beverage containers (nips are included in the legislation, wine and other spirits are not).
ACTION
Here are three easy steps to let your voice be heard:
Step 1:
Contact your Senators (email or call) and ask them to support SB 1037 and cosponsor it. As of Earth Day 2021, 22 Representatives and three Senators (Kasser, Kushner, Haskell) have cosponsored the bill. It is especially important to get additional Senators to cosponsor since it is a Senate Bill.
View the most recent cosponsor list on the Official Bill Page:
Step 2:
Contact members of the Finance Committee. Ask her/him to vote “yes” in Finance.
Step 3:
Contact Kathy Golas, kcgolas [at] aol.com for additional information. And please report all legislator responses to Kathy. Thank you.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BILL:
- Raises the handling fee on covered containers to 3.5 cents. (Effective July of 2021)
- 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)
- Allows beverage distributor to keep 18% of the unclaimed deposits for the 1st two fiscal years and 20% after that, 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 practice.
Sample message to adapt:
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. Will you please vote "yes" on SB 1037 and consider becoming a cosponsor.
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For more information:
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