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Mixed results after three months of CT’s updated bottle redemption program

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Mixed results after three months of CT’s updated bottle redemption program


A Connecticut law doubled container redemption values as 2024 began, but early data on the returns don’t yet show a clear impact on the state.

Under the updated “bottle bill” law, the deposit and redemption value of certain beverage containers purchased and returned in Connecticut is now 10 cents, instead of five. The over 40-year policy, which was updated on Jan. 1, was originally crafted to help incentivize more recycling and reduce litter.

Chris Nelson, an environmental analyst at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), said the first three months of available data “arguably shows an increase” in the rate of bottle returns, but he had thought even more bottles would have been returned.

Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine and New York are among the 10 states with similar “bottle bills.” According to DEEP, states without such policies tend to have lower recycling rates.

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Long-term trends show more drink containers are returned in warmer months, he said.

“That’s kind of what I’m expecting. And actually, if for some reason, it’s not a significant jump, I think that will be more surprising to me than if there is one,” Nelson explained.

Nelson said the lower than expected rate of return could have to do with a lag in reporting or the 10 cent deposit taking a little while to take effect in some places. He wants to see the numbers for April through June before drawing any concrete conclusions about policy’s impact on Connecticut.

But especially high returns might indicate cross border fraud where individuals, theoretically, collect bottles from other states and import them into Connecticut to collect a higher reward. This scheme was satirized in a 1996 episode of Seinfeld. A new state law hopes to address that possibility but it’s a rule that would be difficult to enforce, Nelson said.

Only certain empty, clean containers made of metal, plastic or glass are eligible for redemption — such as beer, carbonated drinks, sports drinks, juice and more. Size is also a factor: only drink containers between 150 milliliters and 2.5 liters can be returned.

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Beverages like wine, spirits, milk cartons, among others, aren’t eligible. Plastic nip liquor bottles also can’t be redeemed but have a five cent surcharge which goes back to municipalities.





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Connecticut Sun Must Improve One Key Metric to be Competitive in 2026

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Connecticut Sun Must Improve One Key Metric to be Competitive in 2026


The Connecticut Sun went into somewhat of a rebuild phase throughout the 2025 season, with much of their roster being tailored towards younger players and ensuring they had the opportunity to develop and get accustomed to the WNBA level. With that said, the record they put out is certainly something they will be looking to improve upon in 2026.

With two first-round picks, they are able to make some more additions to the roster that should help out with the depth of the squad. To do so, they will need to analyze what the team needs, and in 2025, it became abundantly clear what the franchise needed heading into their next campaign.

On the bright side, they were one of the better defensive teams in the league throughout the year, which is enormously impressive from a roster that mostly consists of younger talent. Showing that level of tenacity early in their careers will be crucial down the road to building success and competing with some of the best rosters in the league. There is still a long road to get there, though, and one of the key issues was one of the most obvious.

Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles and forward Aaliyah Edwards celebrate a basket, wearing orange jerseys.

Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The biggest struggle for the Sun compared to the other teams in the WNBA was their 3-point shooting, as in the year they ended up with only a 30.2% rate on 3-point shots. The only other team within a similar range was the Dallas Wings, who hit 30.4%, but otherwise every team was at 32.5% or above.

It is no coincidence that two of the three worst teams in the league were at the bottom of the leaderboard in three-point shooting, as it has become more and more vital to the game of basketball over the years. It wasn’t just a three-point shot issue for Connecticut, though, as they were also last in two-point shot rate at 45.9%, which is brutal.

Shooting efficiency is one of the simplest statistics to look into and define, but one of the most difficult to get right for any roster. It isn’t just as simple as making more shots; it becomes an analysis of schematic decisions and how the team is able to generate scoring chances with assists and open looks.

This will be a huge point of emphasis for coach Rachid Meziane heading into year two as the team works through the offseason to try and build off their success on defense. Bringing in some veteran talents to help provide some scoring opportunities may help as well, which may be under consideration.





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Man arrested for string of home burglaries in East Lyme

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Man arrested for string of home burglaries in East Lyme


A man has been arrested in connection to several home burglaries in East Lyme in September, police said.

The police department said a New London man was arrested on Friday and he is facing 17 charges.

Police said they were able to identify a suspect due to more patrol officers and investigative work by their detectives.

The man faces charges including 12 counts of burglary, attempted burglary, larceny and criminal mischief.

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He was held on a $770,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 1.



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Veterans serve sailors away from home for Thanksgiving

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Veterans serve sailors away from home for Thanksgiving



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