By John McNamara
A nickel surcharge on the sale of each 50 ml “nip” container has netted New Britain $65,939.50 in a second payment based on 1,318,790 sold at liquor stores in the city over six months from October 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.
Every April and October each municipality receives five cents for each nip sold within its borders during the preceding six months. This week, checks amounting to $2.4 million are being sent to Connecticut municipalities representing nip sales from October 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023, according to liquor wholesale organizations. Overall New Britain has received $178,676 and cities and towns have received $6,621,746.50 since the program began in October 2021.
A industry-backed state law enacted in 2021 launched the program, extending the existing returnable beverage container law to address rampant littering of small liquor bottles in parks, sidewalks and roadways. The ubiquitous problem is spawning volunteer clean up drives in many cities and towns and states are enacting legislation similar to the new Connecticut law.
At the time of passage in Connecticut advocates of stronger measures favored steeper surcharges and other curbs, saying the nips are a public health and not just an environmental problem.
A 2021 National Litter Study by Keep America Beautiful concluded what is obvious: “In terms of the most frequently littered items, beer containers and single-serve wine and liquor containers (e.g., 50 ml minis and nips) are both ranked ahead of any non-alcoholic beverage product (e.g., soda, water, juice, tea & coffee).”
“This $6 million program is making a big difference, and is performing beyond our expectations,” said Lawrence F. Cafero, Jr., President and Treasurer of Three Tiers for Connecticut and Executive Director of Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Connecticut, Inc. Cafero, a former state representative, formerly served as House Minority Leader in the General Assembly.
“This is our strongest six-month period yet, and we just delivered $2.4 million in eco fees into the hands of our cities and towns, many of which are using those dollars to keep their roadsides, waterways and public spaces litter-free.”
“Studies show that most litter from nips happens very close to where the containers are purchased,” Cafero explained. “This is why when legislators came to us looking for a solution, we built an eco-fee program to keep it local—because we make sure that the fees collected in each town stay in that town, with no hidden handling charges or ‘sweeps’ of money into the general fund like other programs. Cafero said the program has become a national model.
Cafero said many municipalities have been using the funding for a number of litter-reduction efforts. Some towns have used the funding to support recycling coordinator positions, while others have partnered with local non-profit organizations on litter cleanups.
Proposed by Three Tiers for Connecticut and passed by the General Assembly in 2021, the program is designed to help cities and towns provide for the collection and proper disposal of 50 ml “nip” bottles. Three Tiers for Connecticut is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization representing all of the major wine and spirits wholesalers in Connecticut, as well as suppliers and retailers—thereby being representative of all three tiers of the alcohol beverage industry.
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