Connecticut Statewide Rule
Connecticut Mandatory Statewide Recycling Law
Key Facts
- Statute
- CGS Sec. 22a-241b
- Mandatory items
- Designated by DEEP
- Bottle deposit
- 10 cents (since 2024)
- Applies to
- Residents and businesses
- Enforcement
- DEEP and municipalities
Summary
Connecticut General Statutes Section 22a-241b designates specific items as mandatory recyclables statewide, requiring residents and businesses to separate them from trash. DEEP enforces the program and municipalities must provide recycling collection complying with state designated-item lists.
Sec. 22a-241b. Regulations designating items required to be recycled. Separation of items designated for recycling. Prohibition on combining previously segregated designated recyclable items. (a)(1) On or before February 1, 1988, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 designating items that are required to be recycled. The commissioner may designate other items as suitable for recycling and amend such regulations accordingly. (2) On or before October 1, 2011, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall amend the regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection to expand the list of designated recyclable items to add (A) containers of three gallons or less made of polyethylene terephthalate plastic and high-density polyethylene plastic, and (B) additional types of paper, including, but not limited to, boxboard, magazines, residential high-grade white paper and colored ledger. (b) Any designated recyclable item shall be recycled by a municipality within six months of the availability of service to such municipality by a regional processing center or local processing system. (c) Each person who generates solid waste from residential property shall, in accordance with subsection (f) of section 22a-220 , separate from other solid waste the items designated for recycling pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section.
Full Breakdown
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-241b, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection designates mandatory recyclables that may not be disposed of as trash. Designated items include glass and metal food containers, corrugated cardboard, newspaper, magazines, scrap metal, white office paper, used motor oil, lead-acid and rechargeable batteries, leaves, grass clippings, and certain electronics. Municipalities must ensure collection and recycling of designated items under § 22a-220, and businesses must separate them. Connecticut's container deposit law requires a ten-cent deposit on most beverage containers, raised from five cents on January 1, 2024.
Violations & Penalties
Disposal of designated recyclables in trash carries fines up to $1,000 per violation, with DEEP and municipal enforcement and possible refusal of collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which items must Connecticut residents recycle by law?
Can a Connecticut town opt out of the state recycling list?
Sources
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