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G R E AT E R H A R T F O R D ' S B U S I N E S S N E W S w w w. H a r t f o rd B u s i n e s s . c o m For more B2B news visit APRIL 25, 2016 Volume 24, Number 21 $3.00 Subscribe online JUNE 9, 2016 Only 6 WEEKS until C T B E x p o . c o m 1 6 T H A N N U A L Index ■ Week in Review: PG. 6 ■ Focus: PG. 8 ■ The List: PG. 10 ■ Deal Watch: PG. 12 ■ Movers & Shakers: PG. 18 ■ Opinion & Commentary: PG. 20 Closing Down One of the largest trash museums in the country, located in Hartford, is closing down. Find out how low natural gas prices are to blame. PG. 5 Ramping Up Central Connecticut State University has been expanding its graduate business school programs despite significant competition in the market. Find out why. PG. 8 Why Bradley won its airport tug-of-war for Aer Lingus By Gregory Seay gseay@HartfordBusiness.com W hen Aer Lingus launches trans-Atlantic service from Con- necticut's Bradley International Airport to its Irish home turf in September, more will be at stake than trying regularly to fill seats for its nonstop, seven-hour flights. It, too, will be a further test, observers say, of Connecticut's CT waste plan leans on industry By Matt Pilon mpilon@HartfordBusiness.com F or more than a decade, Connecticut regulators, municipalities and envi- ronmental groups have been nudg- ing manufacturers and other businesses to assume more responsibility — financial and otherwise — for what happens to their products when consumers dispose of them. Since 2011, Connecticut lawmakers — in the face of varying levels of industry opposi- tion — have launched mandated collection and recycling programs for electronics, paint and mattresses, funded by millions in industry fees, which are often passed onto consumers. Now more industries could soon be impacted by similar programs, if state poli- cymakers have their way. Mandated industry responsibility for the life cycle of a product is known as "extended producer responsibility", or EPR, and falls under the umbrella philosophy of "prod- uct stewardship," which can involve more voluntary programs. In a February draft document containing major updates to the state's official waste management plan, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) sig- nalled it's prepared to double down on EPR, naming scrap tires, batteries and carpets as prime targets, while calling for further study of consumer packaging, printed paper, fertil- izers, pharmaceuticals, plastic bags, construc- tion debris and other items. Any state regula- tions or laws that eventually result could range from voluntary efforts to mandates. Pain in the Trash Continued on page 17 Continued on page 15 Connecticut's largest airport emerged the victor to land Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus, which begins trans-Atlantic service from Bradley Airport this fall. At MIRA's Hartford recycling plant, recycling coordinator Thomas Gaffey says plastic bags can contaminate and reduce the value of recyclables the plant sells. Regulators are grappling with how to handle bags in the waste stream. P H O T O | P A B L O R O B L E S P H O T O | C O N T R I B U T E D