The National Environment Agency (NEA) has clarified that 5.5 million beverage containers have been refunded at Return Right machines since the scheme started, though the number of successful transactions made numbered more than one million.
This is because multiple containers can be refunded in one transaction, said the NEA in a Facebook post on Saturday (15 Aug).
Source: DBS on Facebook
The NEA was responding to online comments that misunderstood the exact amount of deposits refunded.
The discussion was prompted by figures quoted in Parliament by Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary on 5 Aug.
Replying to a question from an MP, he had said that the Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) “has handled over one million successful transactions, with 5.5 million beverage containers returned”.
“We expect this number to grow as more BCRS-labelled products enter the market,” he added.
Source: MDDI Singapore on YouTube
However, some netizens took this to mean that while 5.5 million containers were returned, the deposits for only one million containers were refunded.
This interpretation is “incorrect”, NEA said, adding:
Any accusations of misappropriation or corruption are therefore misplaced.
NEA explained that as consumers can return and get refunds for multiple containers in a single transaction, they have used the Return Right machines more than one million times, but returned a total of 5.5 million beverage containers.
That means an average of 5.5 containers are returned in one transaction, it added.
Since each container carries a refundable deposit of S$0.10, about S$550,000 has been refunded to date.
Source: SparklyKale9006 on Facebook
The BCRS scheme, which was rolled out on 1 April, is currently in a six-month transition period till 30 Sept.
During this time, consumers can return containers with the “deposit mark” at Return Right vending machines for a S$0.10 refund.
Source: BCRS Ltd.
Containers without the deposit mark are still available as producers clear existing stock, but all regulated containers sold in Singapore must carry the deposit mark from 1 Oct.
But consumers have complained that they have encountered issues with getting refunds despite no apparent problems with their containers.
BCRS Ltd, which runs the scheme, had previously told MS News that issues are being identified and progressively worked through during the transition period.
Members of the public who encounter issues with the return process are encouraged to submit their feedback at hi@returnright.sg or contact +65 6035 5882.
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Featured image adapted from DBS on Facebook and SparklyKale9006 on Facebook.