It's 8 Towns Out In Connecticut's Nip Bottle Program

CONNECTICUT, CT — While most municipalities in Connecticut are getting thousands of dollars in environmental program funding as part of Connecticut's Nickel-Per-Nip program, some towns are simply shut out of the fun.

And there's logical reason for that.

Under the program, each city and town in the state receives 5 cents for each nip sold within its borders every six months. But not every town has a "liquor" store.

The funding is intended for locally driven environmental stewardship programs, but with no sales, there is no cash for some towns. Here they are, according to the Wine and Spirit Wholesalers of Connecticut:

• Union in Tolland County
• Woodstock and Eastford in Windham County
• Lyme in New London County
• Hartland in Hartford County
• Colebrook and Bridgewater in Litchfield County
• Easton in Fairfield County

Another quirky statistic shows Weston getting just 60 cents with only 12 nips sold, according to the Wine and Spirit Wholesalers of Connecticut.

Larry Cafero, the Executive Director and General Counsel of the Wine and Spirit Wholesalers, announced Monday that the Nickel Per Nip Environmental Fee — a program that first went into effect in 2021 — has now disbursed nearly $16 million to Connecticut’s towns and cities since its inception.

Cafero also said that the revenue for the latest reporting period – Oct. 1, 2024 through March 1, 2025 — was $2.44 million.

The payments can be lucrative for some towns. Manchester, for example, recorded nip sales of 1.3 million bottles over the past six months, rendering a payment of $65,690.30.

Via the program, every city and town in Connecticut with liquor or package stores receives 5 cents for each nip sold within its borders. The program was designed to help cities and towns provide for the collection and proper disposal of nips to combat littering.

"The Nickel per Nip program has continued to be a tremendous success for Connecticut’s towns and cities and our state as a whole," Cafero said. "By directly benefiting communities and significantly reducing litter and enhancing recycling efforts, the program has shown what impact smart, thoughtful legislation can have. We are grateful to the legislature for protecting and supporting this initiative, ensuring its continued positive impact across Connecticut."