PUBLISHED ONApril 08, 2026 10:45 AMBYSean LerSlightly over a week after the beverage container return scheme (BCRS) kicked in, the scheme's licensed operator said it has received feedback that some members of public are unable to return their containers via the Return Right machines.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (April 8), the operator said the most likely cause of containers being rejected is because they do not have a deposit mark.
Although some 1,070 Return Right machines have been deployed across Singapore since April 1, most supermarkets, shops and food centres are likely to be clearing existing stocks of beverage containers that do not have the deposit mark.
Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary had said in a Facebook post on Jan 3 that most containers with the deposit mark are likely to hit the shelves closer to the later part of an extended six-month transition period — spanning April 1 to September 30.
In an updated reply to the media on April 1, the National Environment Agency (NEA) and BCRS said retailers are progressively stocking their shelves with eligible containers.
While a drink container without a deposit mark cannot be returned via the Return Right machine, they can be recycled at the nearest blue (recycling) bin.
BCRS also urged members of the public not to leave ineligible drink containers at the machine.
"Not littering or abandoning your items will keep things usable for everyone in the community," it said.
Members of the public are also reminded to check their containers before returning, as both marked and unmarked containers may still be in circulation during this transition period.
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