Vernon's Tab Now At $97,000 From Nip Bottle Surcharge Program

VERNON, CT — The town of Vernon has now received more than $97,000 through Connecticut's "nickel-per-nip" environmental stewardship program, designed to promote littering awarded and safe driving.

A total of $2.36 million was sent to cities and towns at the end of this October and the two-year-old program has now generated $8.9 million for Connecticut municipalities that sell nips.

Under the state law, proposed by Three Tiers for Connecticut and passed in 2021, a nickel surcharge is placed on the sale of each 50 ml nip container at the point of sale. Every April and October each municipality receives five cents for each nip sold within its borders during the preceding six months.

Vernon's statistics are:

• Nips Sold, April 1 to Sept. 30, 2023: 540,395
• Payment to town, April 1 to Sept. 30, 2023: $27,019.75
• Total payments Oct. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2023: $97, 137.10

"In just two years, this groundbreaking program has generated $8.9 million in litter-reduction funding that goes directly to cities and towns that sell nips,” said Lawrence F. Cafero, Jr., the president and treasurer of Three Tiers for Connecticut and the executive director of Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Connecticut, Inc. "After two years, we thought it was time to take stock in how those nickels are being put to work."

Studies show that most litter from nips happens "very close" to where the bottles are purchased, Cafero said.

Litter is exactly what Vernon is using the money for. Town officials have partnered up with the local "opportunity Works" adult special needs program to clean up areas of town prone to litter involving nip bottles.