CT SB01037

Increases the beverage container deposit refund value from 5 cents to 10 cents, effective January 1, 2024, and expands covered beverages to include hard seltzer, hard cider, and noncarbonated drinks like water, juice, tea, coffee, kombucha, and energy drinks

Raises handling fees paid by distributors to dealers and redemption centers from 1 cent to 2.5 cents for beer/malt beverages and from 2 cents to 3.5 cents for other covered beverages

Requires large retail chains (10+ locations with 7,000+ square feet of display space) to install and maintain at least two reverse vending machines for container redemption, effective October 1, 2021

Imposes a 5-cent surcharge on mini liquor bottles (50 milliliters or less), with proceeds remitted semi-annually to municipalities for environmental and litter reduction programs

Establishes a beverage container stewardship organization framework requiring deposit initiators to join and submit a plan by July 1, 2022, targeting an 80% annual redemption rate