Man brings 10 empty bottles to BCRS machine but not all eligible for 10-cent refund, asks: ‘What’s the point?’
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A man brought 10 empty drink bottles to a Return Right machine in Queenstown for recycling, but only one was eligible for a refund under the Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS).
He ended up discarding the other nine bottles, which led him to question the purpose of the initiative.
Stomper Jimmy said he went to a Return Right machine at FairPrice’s Block 170 Stirling Road branch on June 16, only to discover that not all bottled and canned drinks were accepted.
“After checking with the supermarket staff, I was told that only drinks with the “10-cent Deposit Refund” sign can be refunded, such as some Pokka drinks and FairPrice bottled water,” he recounted.
“Because of this scheme, many drinks have increased in price, but most drink bottles and cans still cannot be accepted by the refund machines. They end up being thrown away instead.”
The Stomper said he threw away the rest of the bottles and cans he had brought, including those from Coca-Cola and F&N.
He also shared a photo showing several cans discarded in front of the Return Right machine he had visited — presumably dumped by those who were unable to get a refund from the machine.
Jimmy added: “If only a small number of drinks are eligible for refunds, then what is the purpose of these refund machines?
“I hope the authorities and beverage companies can make the rules clearer and allow more brands to join the scheme, so consumers can truly benefit from it.”
Many drinks still without deposit mark for 10-cent refund
BCRS, which officially started on April 1, is currently in a transition period, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA).
Containers bearing the deposit mark will gradually enter the market during this period, with widespread availability expected by August and September 2026.
“During this initial period, the beverage and retail industry will also be clearing old stock that does not feature the scheme’s deposit mark and is therefore not eligible for 10-cent deposit refunds,” NEA said.
According to a June 11 report by 8days, many supermarket shelves are still stocked with older inventory that do not carry the deposit mark. A quick check at two major supermarkets found only two drinks carrying said logo.
Separately, SG Recycle founder and CEO Mervin Ng told CNA that consumers may face confusion during this transition period, as many drinks currently sold do not carry the deposit mark, which will only be fully implemented by Oct 1.
“(Users) will definitely try on the machine (and will be rejected) because (their bottle or can) doesn’t have the deposit mark,” he was quoted as saying.
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