Connecticut Bottle Deposit Law Reminder from KeHE Foods

KeHE communicated, that effective January 1^st, 2023, Connecticut is expanding the “noncarbonated beverages” covered by the “Bottle Bill” to include any water, flavored water, plant water, nutritionally enhanced water, juice, juice drink, tea, coffee, kombucha, plant infused drink, sports drink or energy drink, and any beverage that is identified using letters, words or symbols. If the new regulation applies, action is required. 

• Product packaging will need to be updated to include “CTRV” with other state’s bottle deposits.
• It is the responsibility of the “initiator” to properly register containers subject to bottle deposits. The supplier of the subject containers KeHE sells within Connecticut is considered the “initiator”. Suppliers must have their products with containers subject to the bottle bill regulations pre-approved for sale.  Failure to register may result in product being pulled from the retailer’s shelves and becoming unsellable and potentially assessed a fine. 

KeHE will be supporting suppliers by initiating the following steps to assist with bottle deposit law compliance in each applicable state:

• KeHE will charge retailers applicable bottle deposits.
• KeHE will provide a bottle deposit credit to the supplier for any product sold to retailers within the applicable states for the month. Detailed sales reports will be posted in KeHE Connect Supplier portal, under KSolve.  Reports are usually available by the second week of each month. 
• The reports will provide the supplier the information to pay the detailed amount monthly to the applicable state. It is the supplier’s responsibility to pay each of the states.