Making Recycling in Connecticut Convenient & Rewarding

CLYNK's Bag Drop is the most convenient, clean, and fast way to recycle your redeemable beverage containers!

How does CLYNK Work?

1

Fill your CLYNK bag with
redeemable beverage containers.
Bags can be purchased at Stop & Shop.

2

Scan the QR code
on your CLYNK mobile app or
physical CLYNK card at the station.

3

Scan the QR code sticker on
your bag at the station to unlock
the door and drop in your bag.

3 Ways to Create an Account

Download Our App

Sign Up Online

Call Us

Together, let’s raise Connecticut’s recycling rate!

What Our Customers Say About Us

“It is so convenient, and I love that I can let the money collect until I’m ready to withdraw it.”

– Laurie (Stafford Springs, CT)

“How easy: collect bottles in a bag, bring to station at the grocery, no waiting in line for machines, or waiting for a machine to be emptied.”

– Sara (Bethel, CT)

“I love the ease of use, the accessibility, it’s just the easiest way to recycle and I appreciate the ability to donate my funds.”

– Courtney (Vernon, CT)

“Convenient, less mess.”

– Donnelle (Weathersfield, CT)

“Hurray! We’ve been [CLYNK] customers in Maine for more than 5 years. We’re very happy to see it coming to Connecticut. It’s very easy to use and is a great way to redeem more bottles and cans!”

– Mary (South Windsor, CT)

“It is super easy and convenient to just fill a bag… and drop it in a bin.”

– Daphne (Bridgewater, CT)

“We use CLYNK in Maine at our camp. We absolutely love the convenience of having a drop-off for returnables. Currently, in our area, it is inconvenient to do redemption as you have to feed bottles or cans one at a time, not a machine, so we dump them into the recycling bin. How wonderful it would be to have CLYNK in Waterford, CT hopefully SOON! PLEASE COME TO WATERFORD, CT.”

– Susan (Waterford, CT)

“So easy to use! It’s a no-brainer to put your items in the bag & drop them off when your bag is full!”

– Barbara (Vernon Rockville, CT)

“Easy to use, quick funding to my account, clean!”

– Tracy (Naugatuck, CT)

“It is very convenient and easy to use. Makes redeeming bottles hassle-free.”

– Brenda (Kensington, CT)

“We are using CLYNK in Maine… we love that you can drop the bag off and keep a running total in your account to cash out whenever you want.”

– Chris (Coventry, CT)

“No machines to deal with, just drop the bag in the hut and go. We use the CLYNK in Wells Beach, Maine on vacation and love it.”

– John (Middletown, CT)

“It makes bottle returns painless and saves so much time.”

– Jim (Unionville, CT)

“Love the simplicity of the process and being able to just drop off my bags instead of one by one.”

– Marcie (Danbury, CT)

“Convenient, easy way to return bottles.”

– Kyle (Southington, CT)

“Saves time, cleaner, and more efficient.”

– Troy (Putnam, CT)

“Feeding a machine takes a lot of time. CLYNK is a one-stop drop!”

– Marilyn (Meriden, CT)

“No need to individually drop the bottles in!”

– Steven (Sharon, CT)

“It is a convenient and easy system.”

– Kelley (Putnam, CT)

“Easiest way to recycle/return cans and bottles ever! We love CLYNK!”

– Craig (Weatogue, CT)

Our Locations - Coming January 2025!

About Us

What Makes Us CLYNK?

CLYNK is one of the few recycling industry leaders who is taking a progressive, visionary approach to protecting the planet. Our consumer-friendly Bag Drop program makes recycling so easy, convenient, and value-generating that it’s silly not to participate!

By separating beverage containers from other trash and recycling, you are “closing the circularity loop.” You’re ensuring these containers can be recycled as food grade — turning them back into material to make more beverage containers. Not downcycled, wasted in a landfill, or polluting our air or waterways.

Our hardworking team collects your containers and processes them using high-speed equipment so we can quickly issue your deposit credits electronically to your personal account. You don’t pay for this service, only for the CLYNK bags which are made from reclaimed plastic.

But that’s not all. Along with your deposits, when you CLYNK, you see other benefits like calculating your environmental impact (just check your online account!). And soon, we will make it easy to multiply your good by enabling online donations to hundreds of member non-profits and causes. Yep, this is next-gen recycling!

FAQs

How does it work?

CLYNK has patented a bag drop system that makes recycling painless and your deposits easy to save and redeem. We collect your CLYNK bags full of redeemable beverage containers from the redemption center located in the parking lot and process them using high-tech barcode scanners that instantly credit the deposits to your account. The materials are then processed and sold to manufacturers to help close the recycling loop and prevent more waste from ending up in landfills and our oceans.

In Connecticut, we offer two ways to CLYNK:

Grow Your Balance

This is the standard CLYNK option that allows you to grow your CLYNK balance over time and withdraw any amount at any time. 

We process each container in your CLYNK bag and then credit your account with the exact deposit amount.

$5 Instant Payment

With this option, you are responsible for counting the containers in each bag.

Fill each CLYNK bag with 50 redeemable containers, drop it off at the depot and $5.00 will be credited to your account instantly. You can head into Stop & Shop, withdraw the $5 cash slip, and redeem it with a store associate.

How do I start?

To start you will need to download the CLYNK app which will contain your QR code (digital card), account information, and balance.

Once you have the app, sign up for an account, then use your PIN and account QR code at the kiosk inside the store to print out free QR code bag stickers. These stickers let us know your bag belongs to your account.  Purchase your CLYNK bags inside the store, place one sticker on each bag in the designated spot, and start filling your bags with redeemable beverage containers purchased in the state of Connecticut.

Don’t have a smartphone? You can still CLYNK! Call our Customer Service at 866-883-4171. We are available Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm (EST). Our CLYNK Customer Service pros will sign you up over the phone and send a physical card to your house.

What do I need to do to CLYNK?
  • To be a successful CLYNKer you will need to follow the Connecticut guidelines of what is accepted for deposit, click here for the full list. 
  • Make sure your containers aren’t crushed so we can scan the barcode.
  • Keep caps on containers when you can and mix aluminum, plastic, and glass within your CLYNK bag to reduce breakage.
  • Tie your CLYNK bags tightly so no containers can escape out the top.
  • Be sure to scan your QR code in the CLYNK app at the scanner below the bag drop door at the station to start the drop-off process.
  • Place one QR code bag sticker on your CLYNK bag, scan that QR code sticker to unlock the station door, and associate the bag with your account. Repeat for each bag you drop off during that visit.
Where do I get my bags?

Bags are sold at the following Stop & Shop locations:

  • Simsbury: 498 Bushy Hill Road, Simsbury, CT 06070
  • Bristol: 597 Farmington Avenue, Bristol, CT 06010
  • Southington: 505 North Main Street, Southington, CT 06489
What can I put in my bag?

Accepted Containers

  • Beer
  • Other malt beverages
  • Carbonated mineral water
  • Malt-based hard seltzer
  • Malt-based hard cider
  • Water (including flavored water, plant water, and nutritionally enhanced water)
  • Sports drinks
  • Energy drinks
  • Juice and juice drinks
  • Tea and coffee beverages
  • Kombucha
  • Plant-infused drinks

Not Accepted Containers

  • Wine and spirits
  • Wine or spirit-based cocktails, seltzers, or ciders
  • Milk or dairy products
  • Plant-based milks
  • Mixers (products not intended to be consumed on their own)
  • Electrolyte drinks labeled as “medical food” 
  • Protein drinks or shakes
  • Beverages in paper cartons or pouches
  • Containers over 2.5 liters (.66 gallons) containing non-carbonated beverages
  • Containers over 3 liters (.79 gallons) containing carbonated beverages
  • Miniatures or nips

For more information please visit: https://portal.ct.gov/deep/reduce-reuse-recycle/bottles/connecticut-bottle-bill.

How do I get my money?

After you’ve dropped off your CLYNK bag at the redemption station in the parking lot, depending on which payment option you selected your deposits will be available immediately or within 2 business days. 

You just head to the CLYNK kiosk inside the store, scan your CLYNK app, log into your account, and select the amount you’d like to withdraw. The kiosk will print a cash slip and the amount will be deducted from your account balance. This cash slip is your money, take it right away to a Stop & Shop associate to collect your cash.

Contact

We’re here for you.

Recycling and redemption isn’t as easy as it seems but we do our best at CLYNK to demystify the process and help you every step of the way.

If you want to learn more about the Connecticut Bottle Bill and Bottle Bills in general, please visit these sites:

Connecticut’s Official State Website: The Connecticut Bottle Bill

Bottle Bill Resource Guide

Sign up today for the CLYNK Connecticut Mailing List. We will send updates on new drop-off sites and other important information regarding Bag Drop in Connecticut.

Customer Service

Phone: 1-866-883-4171
Email: info@clynk.com
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday 9 am – 5 pm

Corporate Headquarters

100 Waterman Drive, Suite 301, South Portland, ME 04106