A new environmental stewardship program funded by the liquor industry provided more than $1.8 million in funds to municipalities to combat litter in April, and a second round of payments is scheduled for October.
The state’s “nickel-per-nip” program distributes 5 cents to municipalities for each nip – or 5 ml bottle of alcohol – sold in that city or town during the previous six months. The money is aimed at local cleanup efforts.
Cheshire received $7,593 for 151,870 nips sold, Hartford received $63,633 for 1.27 million nips and Waterbury received $58,643 for 1.17 million nips.
The General Assembly passed legislation implementing the program based on a proposal by a coalition of the state’s wine and spirits suppliers, wholesalers and retailers, called Three Tiers for Connecticut. The program went into effect this year.
“Connecticut’s wine and spirits industry recognized that litter—particularly our 50 ml ‘nip’ containers—were an ongoing problem that needed to be addressed, and our members stepped up with a solution that provides point-of-sale messaging and direct financial assistance to municipalities so they have resources to combat litter,” said former state Rep. Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., president and treasurer of Three Tiers for Connecticut and executive director of Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Connecticut Inc.
The coalition expects the environmental stewardship fee will generate $4 million for municipalities by the end of its first year.
