Buying a bottled drink in Singapore now comes with an additional cost that consumers can get back. Shoppers must pay a S$0.10 (roughly US$0.08) deposit on eligible drinks in plastic bottles and metal cans, which is refunded when they return the empty containers.
The system, known as the Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS), officially began on April 1, 2026, with a six month transition period to allow producers and retailers to clear existing stock.
Under the Resource Sustainability (Beverage Container Return Scheme) Regulations 2026, eligible beverages supplied in Singapore have generally had to carry the scheme’s deposit mark since the transition period ended on October 1, with limited exceptions such as exports and drinks supplied on aircraft and ships travelling to or from Singapore.
According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), the scheme aims to increase beverage container recycling by placing a refundable value on empty containers and encouraging consumers to return them for recycling.
Eligible Containers and Refunds
The S$0.10 deposit is not subject to Singapore’s Goods and Services Tax (GST). Eligible containers are made of plastic or metal and hold between 150 milliliters and 3 liters.
Covered beverages include:
- Bottled water
- Soft drinks
- Juices
- Dairy drinks
- Juice concentrates
- Cordials
- Alcoholic beverages.
Glass bottles, cartons, pouches, containers outside the size range and foods for special medical purposes are excluded. Freshly prepared drinks, such as brewed coffee and bubble tea, are also outside the scheme.
Consumers can return eligible containers at reverse vending machines (RVMs), which scan barcodes to verify eligibility. Containers must be empty and uncrushed so their barcodes remain readable, and they must be inserted one at a time.
BCRS Ltd. CEO Stephanie Yip has encouraged consumers to rinse containers before returning them. Refund methods include crediting a SimplyGo EZ-Link card or scanning a DBS PayLah! QR code.
Dine-in rules depend on whether an outlet participates in the Return Right F&B Scheme. Participating outlets do not charge the deposit for eligible drinks consumed on the premises, provided the containers are collected and left behind. Customers who take the containers away must pay the deposit.
Outlets outside the scheme, which may include hawker centers and coffee shops, charge the deposit on eligible packaged beverages, leaving customers responsible for returning the containers at designated collection points to claim their refunds.
Why Singapore Is Introducing the Scheme
Packaging waste accounts for about one-third of Singapore’s domestic waste, according to NEA. The scheme was first proposed in 2019 by the Recycle Right Citizens’ Workgroup to raise household recycling rates and reduce contamination in recycling bins.
NEA data show that more than 48 million beverage containers were returned between April 1 and September 27, 2026, diverting more than 823 tons of material from incineration for recycling. NEA estimates the scheme’s annual recovery potential at more than 16,000 tons.
According to the Return Right website, the plastic and metal recovered through the scheme are made into new products.
Zero Waste SG executive director Lionel Dorai has said that public readiness for recycling initiatives has grown and that further education is needed. He has also described the scheme as a starting point towards multi-stream recycling, in which different materials are separated before recycling.
Who Runs the Scheme
The scheme operates under Singapore’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, which makes producers responsible for the containers they place on the market.
BCRS Ltd., a not-for-profit operator licensed by NEA, manages collection and recycling on behalf of producers. Its board includes representatives from Coca-Cola Singapore Beverages, F&N Foods, Pokka, Wanin Industries and Chia Khim Lee Food Industries.
Supermarkets with a licensed sales area above 200 square meters must provide a return point on their premises or within five meters’ walking distance of a designated customer entrance or exit, unless NEA approves an alternative location.
Three appointed operators, RVM Systems, SG Recycle and TOMRA, run the return machines. Collected containers are taken to a Cora Environment facility, where they are counted, sorted and compressed into bales before being sent to recyclers.
Machine Network and Remaining Stock
Around 1,300 RVMs were operating across Singapore by late September 2026. More than 90 percent of Housing Board households are within a five minute walk of a return point. The scheme aims to expand its network to 2,000 return points within its first year.
Eligible smaller retailers and nonprofit organisations granted an extension may continue handling certain unlabeled stock until October 31. Containers without the deposit mark remain ineligible for refunds and can be recycled through existing channels.
Return points are located at major supermarkets, community spaces and selected hawker centers, with further expansion planned.
Consumers can check machine locations and other information through the Return Right website at returnright.sg.
