Connecticut's expanded bottle redemption law is creating chaos for recycling businesses, with owners warning the new regulations could force closures. Fred Miers, who runs Simple Bottle Return in Bridgeport, processes about a million containers daily but says the state's redesigned law threatens his operation. The legislation, which took effect March 3, 2026, introduces $2,500 annual licenses and limits daily redemption amounts.

Miers and other operators argue the law was rushed through without public input, creating burdensome requirements like mandatory barcode scanning technology or losing a third of handling fees. The law aims to stop cross-border fraud from New York and Massachusetts residents redeeming Connecticut's 10-cent deposits, but operators say it's hurting legitimate businesses. Small operators like Francis Bartolomeo and P.C. Patel joined Miers to voice concerns about the legislation's impact.

The recycling industry had grown significantly since Connecticut raised its deposit to 10 cents in January 2024, increasing redemption rates from 40% to 95%. However, out-of-state fraud has cost beverage distributors millions while neighboring states benefit from unclaimed deposits. Some operators suggest rolling back to the original 5-cent deposit would eliminate cross-border fraud entirely, though lawmakers are focused on building a regional recycling industry.