On Thursday night the New Haven Board of Alders took a concrete step toward cleaning up the city’s streets. The City Services and Environmental Policy (CSEP) Committee voted 6‑0 to adopt a resolution that will be sent to the full Board and, if approved, forwarded to the Connecticut General Assembly and the governor.
What the resolution seeks
The proposal does not immediately ban nips – the tiny liquor bottles that often end up in storm drains, parks and sidewalks. State law currently prevents individual cities from prohibiting their sale. Instead, the resolution asks the state legislature to pass a law giving each municipality the option to ban nips if they choose.
“It’s a request for enabling legislation,” explained Kathy Fay, who presented the measure alongside fellow environmental advocate Laura Cahn. “It’s not asking that the aldermen immediately move to banning in New Haven. It’s giving the aldermen that option, which they don’t have.”
Local impact and funding
New Haven sells more nips than any other Connecticut municipality – roughly 4.4 million a year. Since 2021 the state has imposed a five‑cent fee on each nip, returning the revenue to the city or town where the bottles are sold for litter cleanup. In the 2024‑25 fiscal year New Haven collected about $242,000 from that fee.
While the fee provides a modest fund for cleanup, Cahn argued it cannot solve the problem. “No sin tax is ever going to get us out of this,” she told the committee, noting that the tiny containers are too small to be recycled and often lose their lids, making them even harder to collect.
Community concerns and next steps
During her walk to the meeting, Cahn stopped on a block of Whalley Avenue in Westville and picked up seven nips in five minutes, illustrating how pervasive the litter is. “I’m an environmental advocate, and what I care about is saving the planet,” she said. “I’m sure that anyone who sells alcohol will find other containers to sell it in… Nobody needs those.”
Some aldermen raised practical questions. Morris Cove Alderman Leland Moore wondered whether a local ban would be effective given the city’s border with East Haven, which has many liquor stores. He suggested a statewide restriction might be more impactful. State Rep. Pat Dillon has voiced similar concerns.
East Rock Alderman Anna Festa noted that the Board could also direct its state lobbyists to pursue a statewide ban, while Wooster Square Alderman Mandy Martinelli praised the resolution for returning power to local governments.
Public response
No members of the public testified at the meeting, but Cahn expressed optimism after the vote. “I don’t know what’s gonna solve this problem, but I’m glad that people care, I’m glad that people know it’s a problem, and I’m glad that there are people that want to find a solution,” she said.
The resolution now awaits a full Board vote. If passed, New Haven will join other Connecticut cities in seeking state‑level authority to curb the litter caused by nips, a small but visible environmental nuisance.
Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.
