Connecticut

Recycling Program Overview

Bureau of Materials Management and Compliance Assurance
79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06106-5127
Phone: (860) 424-3366; Fax: (860) 424-4059


NERC Board Member Representative

Chris Nelson, Director

Sustainable Materials Management Planning & Implementation
79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06106

(860) 424-3454

Overview

The Recycling Program is currently part of the Bureau of Materials Management & Compliance Assurance, which is in the Environmental Quality section of DEEP. The recycling program has a staff of six professionals with expertise in composting, recycling technical assistance, recycling markets, unit based pricing, solid waste and materials management, and data management. The staff provide technical assistance to Connecticut's municipalities, schools, and businesses to assure implementation of the state's mandatory recycling legislation.


Connecticut's statute went into effect on January 1, 1991. Glass and metal food and beverage containers, corrugated cardboard, newspapers, used motor oil, lead-acid batteries, scrap metal, leaves and white office paper (non-residential only) are required to be recycled. Nickel-cadmium batteries were added to the list in May of 1996. PETE #1 and HDPE #2 food and beverage containers, boxboard, magazines, and white and colored paper (residential and commercial) were added to the list as of 2012. Grass clippings are banned from disposal sites as of October 1, 1998.


Connecticut is a bottle bill state, and changes were made to the law in 2009. The state's source reduction/recycling goal is 58% by the year 2024.