Stop & Shop Commits To 'Less Messy' Can And Bottle Redemption Process In All Connecticut Stores

CONNECTICUT — Stop and shop will now be installing what a corporate spokeswoman called "a clean, efficient and convenient" deposit bottle and can redemption system in all 81 Connecticut stores.

The commitment was made after a winter-to-spring test run at five stores. The expansion is the next phase of a partnership between Stop & Shop and CLYNK, the latter billed as a "technology innovator revolutionizing beverage container recycling through turnkey bag drop redemption solutions."

By the end of 2026, CLYNK's bag drop system, designed to make recycling "easier and more convenient for consumers," will be installed in all 81 Connecticut Stop & Shop stores, officials for the supermarket chain said.

In January, Stop & Shop introduced the CLYNK system into the Connecticut market at five of its
locations — two in Bristol, and one each in Simsbury, Southington and Windsor. On
average, officials said, recycling rates have increased 20 percent at the stores with CLYNK redemption
centers installed. On Jan. 1, 2024, the deposit amount in Connecticut doubles to 10 cents.

CLYNK officials said that study by the Conservation Law Foundation found that Connecticut's bottle redemption rate was just 45 percent, the second-lowest among New England states with bottle bills, ahead of only Massachusetts, which has a redemption rate of 38 percent.

The statewide rollout is set to begin this fall and conclude at the end of 2026, but the switches are dependent on local regulatory approvals, Stop & Shop officials said. Most of the depositories will be set up in parking lots, away from traffic, a spokeswoman said, while adding, "things will be less messy."

Once the rollout is complete, CLYNK estimates it will recycle 368 million containers per year, or enough to fill 23 million brown paper shopping bags and representing approximately 27% of all redeemable containers in Connecticut.

“Our goal with this partnership is to make it easier for people to participate in Connecticut’s recycling program, and we’re very encouraged by the results we are seeing at our five pilot stores,” said Stop & Shop Regional Vice President Steve Iasimone said. "We believe that expanding our partnership with CLYNK will help more people make sustainable choices that can benefit our community."

CLYNK CEO Matt Prindiville added, "Stop & Shop’s decision to bring CLYNK statewide shows real leadership. They’re making it easier for customers to do the right thing — clean, simple, no hassle. That's how we grow redemption rates and build a better system. We’re proud to partner with a retailer that’s investing in both customer convenience and Connecticut’s environment.”

CLYNKs "patented bag drop system" makes recycling "painless and customers' deposits
easy to save and redeem," Stop & Shop officials said.

CLYNK collects bags full of redeemable beverage containers from the Sustainability Stations located in the Stop & Shop parking lot and processes them using high-tech barcode scanners to count containers. Funds are then electronically deposited into each customer’s CLYNK account.

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The CLYNK bottle redemption program is available for qualified redeemable
products purchased within the state of Connecticut. To sign up through the CLYNK
app, sign up at https://ct.clynk.com/sign-up/.

To sign up online, visit
https://www.clynk.com/create-account-selection/. To find a Connecticut store near you,
visit: https://www2.stopandshop.com/store-locator.