In Singapore, finishing a drink can now give you a small reward. Since April 1, 2026, the country has started a new Beverage Container Return Scheme. For many pre-packaged drinks, shoppers pay an extra 10 cents when they buy the drink. If they return the empty container later, they get the 10 cents back. The idea is to help Singapore recycle more and waste less. The National Environment Agency says packaging is about one-third of Singapore’s domestic waste, and this scheme is expected to cover more than one billion drink containers a year. (nea.gov.sg)
But there is an important point: not every bottle or can is included. The refund is for pre-packaged drinks in plastic or metal containers from 150 millilitres to 3 litres. The container must have the special Deposit Mark on it. Glass bottles, drink cartons, and pouches are not part of the scheme. People also need to return the container empty and uncrushed, because the machine must scan the barcode. (nea.gov.sg)
To make this easy, Singapore is using “Return Right” reverse vending machines. At the start, there are more than 1,000 machines across the country, including at large supermarkets, town centres, HDB void decks, and some hawker centres. NEA says more than 90 percent of HDB households are within a five-minute walk of a return point, and the number of return points should grow to 2,000 within the first year. Refunds are paid digitally through SimplyGo EZ-Link or DBS PayLah! (nea.gov.sg)
This system is still very new, so shoppers may see both old and new drink containers in stores for a while. During the transition period from April 1 to September 30, 2026, containers with the Deposit Mark will appear gradually, with wider availability expected in August and September. From October 1, 2026, all regulated drinks sold in Singapore must carry the mark. It is a simple idea: drink, return, and recycle. For language learners, it is also a useful new phrase to remember: “Return Right.” (nea.gov.sg)










