National Deposit Scheme aka Return Right Starts Apr 1

Singapore’s Beverage Container Return Scheme started on 1 Apr 2026. Under the scheme, consumers pay an extra 10-cent deposit on eligible pre-packaged drinks and get it back when they return the empty container.

The scheme applies to plastic bottles and metal cans between 150ml and 3L. Eligible containers will carry a deposit mark. Containers without the mark cannot be returned for a refund.

Containers must be empty and not crushed, as the barcode needs to be scanned by the machine. Consumers are also encouraged to rinse containers before returning them.

A total of 1,070 reverse vending machines are being deployed across Singapore. CNA reported that over 90 per cent of HDB households will be within a five-minute walk of a machine. Machines are being placed at housing estates, supermarkets, retail outlets and selected hawker centres.

Refunds are given digitally at the machine after the container is verified. Consumers can use methods such as SimplyGo EZ-Link and DBS PayLah! to receive the refund.

This is a significant change for recycling in Singapore. Many beverage containers that used to go into blue bins will now have a separate return channel. The aim is to improve recycling rates and reduce contamination in the recycling system. The scheme aims to cover more than 1 billion beverage containers a year, with more than 16,000 tonnes of material expected to be recovered annually.