Over the past month muncipalities across the state have received their first checks from the surcharge placed on the sale of millions of so-called nip bottles of liquor, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars for towns and cities to address littering.

Last October, state legislation placed a five-cent surcharge on the sale of the miniature alcohol containers, which contain 50 milliliters or less. The revenue is designed to provide towns with funds to reduce solid waste and littering such as hiring a recycling coordinator, installing storm drain filters to block waste and purchasing a mechanical street sweeper.

Larry Cafero, the executive director of the state's Wine and Spirits Wholesalers Association, said the association has worked with the state for years to address the littering caused by the nip bottles. He said they are found everywhere — on the ground and in the water.

And nips, which cost a little more than $1 each, are sold in staggering numbers.

Cafero said around 90 million nip bottles are sold each year in Connecticut. At a nickel-a-nip surcharge, he said approximately $4.5 million a year could go back to municipalities.

"There is a culture of concealment with nips," said Cafero. "People hiding it from their spouse, law enforcement, etc."

He added that data shows most empty containers are found in proximity to the package store where they were bought, which prompted the "nickel for a nip" law.

Cafero is also the president of Three Tiers for Connecticut, a nonprofit composed of alcohol suppliers, wholesalers and retailers, that pushed for the environmental fee on nips. Founded in 2019, the organization has worked to educate the public on how nips are nonrecycleable with their Nip-it in the Bin campaign and partnered with Live Green CT for community cleanups, Cafero said. The nip bottles are too small to be sorted at recycling facilities.

Cafero said towns and cities will receive a payment from the sale of nips each April and October.

Jean Cronin, the executive director of Connecticut Package Stores Association, said the association has also supported the legislation.

"Liquor and wine bottles are recycled in blue bins," Cronin said. "Nips are different. They're so tiny and become big litter problems. Nips are not supposed to be thrown on the ground. ... Unfortunately, people do."

Cronin said the fee is collected by the wholesalers from the retailers, which in turn are reimbursed by the customer.

Alan Wilensky, owner of Max's Package Store in East Lyme, is a member of the package store association. Wilensky said he has seen little pushback from customers. He said some questioned it in the beginning, but after some explaining, most people understood the concept.

"It really doesn't affect the sale of miniatures," Wilensky said.

Data shows almost $1.9 million received from the state's eight largest wholesalers was paid out to 163 municipalities for sales of nips from Oct. 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. The state still expects to receive a small amount of revenue from a group of small wholesalers. Six towns didn't receive funds because they don't have liquor stores.

Norwich received $43,609 which equates to 872,192 nips. Comptroller Josh Pothier said the city's proposed 2022-23 budget calls for using the revenue to defray the cost of hiring an environmental compliance coordinator to assist with recycling and other environmental efforts.

Delia Morrison, the finance director for the Town of Groton, said the town received $33,678 for the sale of 673,578 nip bottles sold in local liquor stores. But what the town plans to do with the funds is still to be determined. The Town Council's Committee of the Whole is scheduled to discuss how to best allocate the funds on May 10. 

New London's Finance Director David McBride Jr. said the city recently received a check for $27,696 for a nip count of 553,938. McBride said no decisions have been finalized about how to the city will use the funds.

Other towns did not receive as much but still boasted a significant number of nip sales.

Montville received a check of $18,087.20, said Finance Director Theresa Hart, for the sale of 361,744 nips. In Stonington, Finance Director James Sullivan said the town received roughly $12,350 for 240,000 nips sold. Sullivan said the town would be setting aside the money until it receives further guidance from the state about how it can be used. Anna Johnson, the finance director of East Lyme, said the town received $12,421 for the sale of 248,436 nips.

Waterford Finance Director Kim Allen could not be reached, but state data shows the town was due $14,301.30 for 286,026 nips sold in town.

"If municipalities don't do what they are required to with the money, the problem will persist," said Cafero. "Residents who pay the five-cent charge will notice and ask 'what are you doing with it?'"

j.vazquez@theday.com