Overview
- The nationwide beverage container return scheme, which launched Wednesday, adds S$0.10 to plastic and metal drinks from 150ml to 3L and pays it back when eligible, marked containers are returned at reverse vending machines.
- Day-one checks found few, if any, bottles or cans with the Singapore deposit mark on sale, and NEA said marked stock will arrive over the coming weeks with wider availability from June during the April–September transition when unmarked items are not refundable.
- More than 1,000 Return Right machines have been rolled out for the start, yet CNA saw a small share offline or glitching, and BCRS Ltd said partners are fixing the issues as locations and live status appear on returnright.sg.
- Refunds are issued after barcode checks via options like a SimplyGo EZ-Link tap or a DBS PayLah! QR scan, and collected containers go to a Cora Environment facility to be counted, sorted and baled for recycling.
- Dine-in outlets in the Return Right F&B program keep empty containers and skip the deposit charge for customers, while the operator targets a 60% return rate in year one and 80% within three years, with ambassadors and a roadshow guiding users during the ramp-up.