Connecticut bars out-of-state container refunds and limits fees for large centers

A person may not collect or charge a refund on a container bought outside Connecticut. Intentionally doing so, or directing someone else to do so, carries the listed criminal penalties at specified volumes. The penalties are a class B misdemeanor for 5,000–19,999 containers in a calendar year, a class A misdemeanor for 20,000–30,999 in a one-year period, and a class D felony for 40,000 or more in a one-year period. The criminal penalties apply to intentional conduct. The section does not apply to carriers, warehouse workers, or their employees who lawfully transport or store containers as merchandise while doing their jobs. This section takes effect October 1, 2026.

Distributors must reduce the handling fee they pay to certain redemption centers by no more than one cent per container. The rule covers fees distributors pay to qualifying centers for the containers described in the referenced law. The centers must average at least 50 million containers processed annually, as confirmed by the state, and must not use automated barcode or product-code scanning for every container. The reduction ends July 1, 2027, or sooner if a center begins scanning every container, whichever comes first. The stated fee period runs from April 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. This section takes effect upon passage.