Connecticut Joint Committee Onfinance, Revenue and Bonding Committee

March 2, 2018

Connecticut Joint Committee onFinance, Revenue and Bonding Committee

Legislative Office Building

Room 3700

Hartford, CT 06106

Testimony in Support of Section 27 to Senate Bill 10

DearCo-Chairs Fonfara, Rojas, Frantz, Ranking Member Davis and Members of the Finance Committee:

On behalf of the Glass Packaging Institute (GPI), I am offering the following testimony in support of Section 27 to Senate Bill 10, which would expand the state’s successful bottle bill recycling program to include non-carbonated beverages and similar beverages.

GPI is the North American trade association for the glass container manufacturers, glass recyclers, and suppliers of materials, equipment and transport to the industry.Collectively, the industry directly employs 18,000 Americans in glass container manufacturing and related recycling industries.

GPI member companies have a strong presence in Connecticut. Strategic Materials, Inc. operates a glass recycling facility in South Windsor, and processes much of the glass beverage containers recovered through the program. The glass container and recycling industry is also supported by the Emhart Glass Research Center located in Windsor, and the TOMRA North America facility in Shelton, which collects beverage containers through an extensive capital infrastructure, employing 100 people.

Bottle bill recycling programs achieve much higher recovery rates for covered beverages. Redemption of containers within Connecticut’s program is over 50%, well above the national average for beverage container recycling. Manufacturing demand for thehigh quality recycled glass purchased from Connecticut’s bottle bill recycling program is strong. GPI estimates that up to 80% of recycled glass used in the glass container manufacturing process is sourced from the 10 states with bottle bill recycling programs.

GPI also supports the legislature’s review of current handling fees, which serve to reimburse the redemption centers and other parties that redeem collected beverage containers. On average, the handling fees for the Connecticut program are low, when compared to other states with bottle bill recycling programs.

Thank you for your thoughtfulconsideration of our testimony to Section 27 of Senate Bill 10.

Please contact me with any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Lynn M. Bragg

President

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Glass Packaging Institute * 1220 N. Fillmore Street, Suite 400 * Arlington, VA 22201 * (703) 684-6359 •