Singapore to start compulsory mandatory beverage return scheme

Consumers will have to pay a deposit for bottled and canned drinks they purchase from April 2025 as part of a scheme to reduce waste and increase recycling rates in Singapore.

The S $0.10 US $0.07 deposit will be added to the price of the beverage and will be refunded when the empty bottle or can is returned.

The Committee of Supply debated the beverage container return scheme for the first time in 2022 and went through a public consultation phase in September 2022. It is part of the Resource Sustainability Amendment Bill that was tabled for a second reading in Parliament on Tuesday Mar 21. Here is what you need to know about the scheme:

The scheme aims to increase the recycling rate of beverage containers and reduce the amount of waste that goes to Singapore's landfill. In Singapore, only 6 per cent of the plastic waste generated in the year 2021 was recycled.

A higher deposit would encourage participation and a higher return rate, but we do not want the deposit to be too high, so that it discourages purchases of pre-packaged beverages, said Amy Khor, senior minister of state at the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment.

84 per cent of respondents said a deposit of 10 cents or higher would be suitable for public consultations. The 10 cents is not subject to goods and services tax.

The deposit will be refunded through digital methods, and NEA is working out the details of how it will be refunded.

The deposit will be added to pre-packaged beverages in plastic bottles or metal cans between 150 ml and 3 L. The sizes correspond to what a typical reverse vending machine can accept.

According to 2020 statistics, 660 million drinks in metal cans and 390 million drinks in plastic bottles were placed on the market annually, NEA said.