DBS PayLah! users can receive 10-cent refunds for recycling beverage containers
DBS PayLah! users will soon be able to receive 10-cent refunds when they return eligible beverage containers at Return Right Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) across Singapore.
In a statement on Monday (2 March), DBS said that from 1 April 2026, consumers can select DBS PayLah! as their preferred refund mode at participating RVMs and scan their personal QR code within the app to receive the refund directly into their PayLah! wallet.
Refunds credited to PayLah! wallet
To receive the refund, consumers deposit eligible empty plastic bottles or metal cans into an RVM, choose DBS PayLah! as the refund option, and scan their PayLah! QR code at the machine’s QR reader.
Source: DBS
The 10-cent refund will be credited to their PayLah! wallet, with a push notification sent upon successful transaction. The refund will also be reflected in the user’s transaction history within the app.
PayLah! is open to all users in Singapore. Eligible users can sign up for the app even if they do not have a DBS or POSB bank account, and funds in the wallet can be transferred to non-DBS/POSB bank accounts.
Chan Sow Han, Head of Payments and Unsecured Lending, Consumer Banking Group at DBS Singapore, said the bank is “pleased to provide consumers with a familiar digital option”, adding that supporting sustainability can be “as easy and seamless as paying for hawker meals”.
Part of national Beverage Container Return Scheme
The refunds are part of Singapore’s national Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS), which takes effect on 1 April 2026.
Under the scheme, a 10-cent refundable deposit will be applied to all pre-packaged beverages in plastic and metal containers ranging from 150ml to 3 litres.
Consumers can claim the refund by returning empty containers bearing the official Deposit Mark at designated return points, including RVMs.
Source: Return Right with BCRS on Facebook
The scheme is licensed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and operated by Beverage Container Return Scheme Ltd. (BCRS Ltd.), a not-for-profit company set up by a consortium of beverage producers.
It adopts an Extended Producer Responsibility approach, where producers are responsible for the collection and recycling of beverage containers they place on the market.
NEA said the scheme aims to increase recycling rates, reduce waste sent for disposal and cut carbon emissions, while creating a clean, high-quality stream of recyclables that can be turned into new products.
Stephanie Yip, CEO of BCRS Ltd., said integrating DBS PayLah! as a refund option makes recycling “part of everyday life — simple, immediate and intuitive”.
Source: NEA
“Our goal is to make responsible recycling for everyone and partnerships like this help accelerate that journey,” she added.
Transition period until 30 Sept
There will be a transition period from 1 April to 30 Sept 2026, during which both beverages with and without the Deposit Mark may be sold in stores.
Only containers bearing the Deposit Mark will be eligible for the 10-cent refund.
From 1 Oct 2026, all regulated beverage products sold in Singapore must carry the official Deposit Mark.
In addition to DBS PayLah!, consumers can also receive their refunds digitally via EZ-Link cards, including student and senior concession cards.
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Featured image adapted from DBS and Piman Khrutmuang’s Images on Canva, for illustration purposes only.
