From 1 April 2026, Singapore will introduce a mandatory beverage container return scheme that adds a refundable deposit of SGD 0.10 (USD 0.07) to the retail price of most pre-packaged drinks. The initiative applies to plastic and metal containers between 150 millilitres and 3 litres and covers categories ranging from water and soft drinks to dairy products and alcoholic beverages. Freshly prepared drinks and foods for special medical purposes are excluded.
The deposit will be refunded when empty containers carrying the official scheme mark and barcode are returned at designated points, most of which will be reverse vending machines. Supermarkets larger than 200 square metres will be required to host return points, while additional locations in community clubs and town centres are planned to ensure convenience and broad consumer participation.
To ease the transition for the beverage industry, authorities have granted a six-month sell-through period. Between 1 April and 30 September 2026, products with and without the deposit mark may be sold in parallel, meaning shelves will temporarily carry a mix of refundable and non-refundable packaging. Full implementation begins on 1 October 2026, after which all regulated beverages sold in Singapore must display the deposit mark and include the deposit in the purchase price. The deposit itself is not subject to GST.
The scheme is built on an Extended Producer Responsibility model. Beverage producers and importers will finance the collection, sorting, and recycling of containers by paying fees per unit placed on the market and by registering all eligible products. Operations will be handled by Beverage Container Return Scheme Ltd., a not-for-profit operator established by Coca-Cola Singapore Beverages, F&N Foods and Pokka, under licence from the National Environment Agency. The operator is tasked with setting up more than 1,000 return points and achieving an 80% container return rate by the third year of operation.
Originally announced in 2020 and delayed from an initial 2025 start date, the programme is a central element of Singapore’s broader waste reduction and circular economy strategy. By aggregating clean, high-quality recyclate, the government aims to reduce landfill volumes, cut carbon emissions, and lower reliance on virgin materials, with the beverage sector among the first consumer goods categories to be comprehensively regulated in this way.
