Compliance

Compliance

Miniature Beverage Containers

Through June 30, 2023, municipalities used most of the funds received to reduce the impact of litter.

Between October 1, 2021, and March 31, 2023, 162 out of the 169 municipalities in Connecticut received in aggregate approximately $6.6 million, through the surcharge on miniature alcohol beverage containers (Nip bottles), which equates to approximately 132.4 million Nip bottles. For the reporting municipalities (132 out of 162), through June 30, 2023, approximately 42 percent of the funds received from the surcharge on the Nips was expended to reduce the generation of solid waste, and approximately 58 percent was expended to reduce the impact of litter caused by such solid waste.

It should be noted that only ten of the municipalities reported using all of the funds they received through June 30, 2023. 56 municipalities or approximately 42 percent indicated that no funds had been expended through June 30, 2023, and overall, only 29 percent of the total funds received by the reporting municipalities had been expended on one or more environmental measures through June 30, 2023.

To view a more detailed explanation of the use of funds and the environmental measures to reduce solid waste and/or the impacts of litter, visit “Preliminary-findings-of-the-review-of-the-miniature-beverage-container-surcharge-program-1-17-2024.pdf”.¹⁰⁵

_{Technical Note: Connecticut General Statutes Section 22a-244b(d) states that funds shall be “expended by such municipality on environmental measures intended to reduce the generation of solid waste in such municipality or reduce the impact of litter caused by such solid waste, including, but not limited to, the hiring of a recycling coordinator, the installation of storm drain filters designed to block solid waste and beverage container debris or the purchase of a mechanical street sweeper, vacuum or broom that removes litter, including, but not limited to, such beverage containers and other debris from streets, sidewalks and abutting lawn and turf areas”.}

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¹⁰⁵ _{Council on Environmental Quality, Preliminary findings of the review of programs and measures of local governments on the expenditure of funds from the surcharge on spirit or liquor beverage containers of fifty milliliters or less (Nips); portal.ct.gov/-/media/CEQ/Publications/2024/Preliminary-findings-of-the-review-of-the-miniature-beverage-container-surcharge-program-1-17-2024.pdf.}