CT SB00299

Redemption centers must obtain a license from the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection starting July 1, 2026, with a $2,500 application fee, replacing the previous registration system.

Redemption centers are prohibited from accepting containers not originally sold in Connecticut, previously redeemed containers, containers with unreadable barcodes, or containers on a deposit initiator's list of products not sold in the state.

The threshold for required record-keeping of redeemers drops from 2,500 to 1,000 containers per person per day, and the daily per-person limit decreases from 5,000 to 4,000 containers (with exceptions for nonprofits and fundraisers).

Large redemption centers processing 50+ million containers annually that lack automated barcode scanning will have handling fees reduced by up to one cent from April 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.

Civil penalties for violations increase significantly: first offense from $50-$100 to $500-$750; second offense from $100-$200 to $750-$1,000; third or subsequent offense to a minimum of $2,000 plus classification as a class A misdemeanor.