Connecticut has tightened its bottle redemption laws, aiming to curb illegal out-of-state returns—despite little hard evidence it’s a widespread issue. Gov. Ned Lamont recently signed a bill capping redemptions at 5,000 bottles daily and requiring ID for bulk returns. The law also allocates $2 million for enforcement. While the state saw record-high returns last year, some lawmakers blame nonresidents seeking a 10-cent refund. But redemption center owners argue the problem is overstated and say enforcement may not be effective without barcode tech.