JB-bought drink with Singapore deposit logo rejected, Return Right says use of logo was ‘unauthorised’
An individual claimed that a canned drink bought in Johor Bahru (JB) was rejected by a Return Right reverse vending machine in Singapore despite displaying the official Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) deposit mark.
Speaking to MS News, the individual, who asked to be identified only as a “concerned Gen-Z citizen”, said the incident raised questions about how the Singapore deposit logo ended up on a product that was not registered under the scheme.
Video courtesy of the concerned Gen-Z citizen
Meanwhile, BCRS told MS News that the beverage was not registered under the scheme and has since reached out to the retailer.
Return Right says can not registered under BCRS
The individual said they purchased a can of Krobe Salt.Cola for about RM4.50 (S$1.42) at Woodfire restaurant in Johor Tourist Information Centre (JOTIC) on 4 July.
The can carried Singapore’s official BCRS deposit mark.
Picture courtesy of the concerned Gen-Z citizen
However, their attempt to return the can at a Return Right machine at Sembawang proved unsuccessful.
“The machine rejected the can, simply stating that it’s not eligible,” they said.
Individual hopes issue receives public attention
Speaking to MS News, the individual said they had not contacted the importer or beverage manufacturer.
This was because they wanted to first raise the matter with the operator of the scheme.
Screenshot from video courtesy of the concerned Gen-Z citizen
The individual also questioned how an unregistered product could display Singapore’s official deposit logo.
“Public awareness and media scrutiny are vital to holding [the BSCRS team] accountable,” the Gen-Z individual said.
Non-registered beverage incident ‘isolated’: BCRS
Speaking to MS News, a BCRS Ltd Spokesperson said that it is aware of the isolated report regarding “non-registered beverage containers retailed outside Singapore bearing the Deposit Mark of the Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS)”.
“We have since reached out to the relevant importer to better understand their intention for printing the BCRS deposit mark on a beverage container that is retailed in Malaysia.”
Picture courtesy of the concerned Gen-Z citizen
The spokesperson reiterated that BCRS is a national initiative that applies only to eligible beverages retailed in Singapore.
Hence, the 10-cent BCRS deposit is only collected at the cashier or point of sale for these eligible beverage containers.
“Containers purchased overseas, even if they carry a BCRS mark due to supplier mislabelling, are not registered under Singapore’s system and are not eligible for deposit refund,” the spokesperson told MS News.
The spokesperson also explained how the Return Right machines cross-check every container against a live database of registered containers in Singapore.
Simply printing the BCRS Deposit Mark on an unregistered or overseas product will not allow a deposit refund, protecting the scheme’s funds from fraudulent claims.
Screenshot from video courtesy of the concerned Gen-Z citizen
Members of the public who encounter potential mislabelling or unauthorised use of the Deposit Mark can contact hi@returnright.sg.
MS News has reached out to Krobe Salt.Cola for more information.
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Featured image courtesy of the concerned Gen-Z citizen.
