New website helps Singapore residents easily find recycling points to get 10-cent return on plastic bottles
Everyone in Singapore can now use the new Return Right website to easily locate the nearest recycling machines to deposit their empty beverage containers and earn a 10-cent return.
The website was launched ahead of the Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) on 1 April.
The platform allows users to find over 1,000 machines scattered across the island, including Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs), electronic waste (E-waste) recycling stations, and blue recycling bins.
Site offers convenient access to recycling options
The Return Right website, announced across social media channels on Wednesday (18 March) — coinciding with Global Recycling Day — was launched by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and BCRS.
Source: Return Right
Through the new scheme, residents can deposit their empty beverage containers into RVMs and receive a 10-cent refund per item.
In a joint statement, NEA and BCRS highlighted that more than 90 per cent of HDB households will have an RVM within a five-minute walk.
These machines are strategically placed in high-traffic areas such as residential precincts, supermarkets, retail outlets, and hawker centres.
These areas include popular locations like FairPrice, Cold Storage, and Giant supermarkets.
RVM machines showcased at launch event
On the same day, the machines were showcased at an event that demonstrated how the RVMs work and explained the behind-the-scenes logistics of the scheme.
Source: BCRS on Facebook
Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary attended the event, expressing his gratitude to BCRS and other stakeholders.
He also acknowledged that while the scheme is a step forward for Singapore, it may face challenges in the future.
Source: BCRS on Facebook
“We have to accept this is something very new for us in Singapore,” he said.
He shared that this project was started from a “citizens’ work group”, and was a “ground-up initiative that has come to life”.
NEA to assist producers with transition period
In a bid to help producers adapt to the new system, NEA has extended the transition period from three months to six months — from 1 April to 30 September 2026 — giving producers more time to prepare.
To further support them, the Producer Transition Grant offers up to S$2,500 to producers who register before the scheme’s official launch on 1 April.
The grant will help offset costs such as product registration fees, producer fees, and the cost of scheme stickers for beverage containers.
Although the initiative will officially begin in April, containers with the Deposit Mark will be available for purchase during the transition period.
Retailers and beverage stores will be required to clear any old stock that does not feature the Deposit Mark, making those items ineligible for the 10-cent return.
Also Read: DBS PayLah! users can receive 10-cent refunds for recycling beverage containers from 1 April
DBS PayLah! users can receive 10-cent refunds for recycling beverage containers from 1 April
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Featured image adapted from BCRS Facebook stories on Facebook and Return Right.
