Some dine-in spots will not charge 10-cent container deposit, but hawkers likely to pass it on

SINGAPORE – Some restaurants and food and beverage outlets with dine-in services will not charge customers the 10-cent deposit when they order bottled or canned drinks from April 1, the day the Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) kicks in.

For other food shops, such as those in hawker centres and coffee shops, collection of these containers could be challenging due to the porous nature of the dining areas. There could be multiple drink stalls within the same area.

In these cases, the beverages will be sold with the 10-cent deposit, said Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary on March 3, during the debate on his ministry’s budget.

Under the scheme administered by the National Environment Agency (NEA), customers will pay an additional 10 cents, which is a refundable deposit, for bottled and canned drinks ranging from 150ml to 3 litres.

When containers bearing the “Deposit Mark” are returned at the reverse vending machine, customers can retrieve their deposits via their ez-link cards or their DBS PayLah! wallets. NEA is an agency under the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment.

However, unlike supermarkets and other retailers that will directly charge buyers for each beverage container, a separate arrangement is needed for the food and beverage landscape as it is very diverse, with different settings and operating models, said Dr Janil.

Establishments that plan to collect back the containers of beverages consumed by their diners are known as “Return Right F&B outlets”.

To facilitate the collection of the containers, these outlets could either serve customers the drinks in cups or glasses without containers, or serve the beverages with the containers on the understanding that customers leave them behind when finished, he added.

Details on how many Return Right F&B outlets there will be were not provided. But Dr Janil said participating outlets will be provided with signs and decals to help customers easily recognise such premises.

Acknowledging that such an arrangement requires more effort and operational adjustments by F&B operators, he added that the NEA will provide a one-time support of $500 per food shop during application.

Meanwhile, other food establishments, such as hawker centre stalls, may find it harder to adopt this arrangement and are likely to pass on the cost of the 10-cent deposit to customers, he said.

He also gave the House a separate update on the scheme, saying that major supermarket operators have agreed to make price displays clearer for shoppers.

Prices displayed on shelves will exclude the 10-cent deposit, which will be added only at checkout.

NEA noted that smaller retailers may adopt different practices but said it will work with them to ensure transparent pricing for consumers.

Recognising that some seniors and persons with disabilities may need more help to adapt to the scheme, Dr Janil added that NEA will work closely with community partners and non-governmental organisations so that they would understand the scheme better, and address any challenges they may face when returning the beverage containers.

Dr Janil said that through the scheme, he hopes Singaporeans will become more mindful of the packaging they consume, dispose of waste properly to keep shared spaces clean and practise good recycling habits, which will reduce contaminating the blue recycling bins.

“Recycling is a shared responsibility and everyone has a role to play... This does require some adjustments but every small effort counts, and, together, we can build a greener and more sustainable Singapore,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Restaurant Association of Singapore told The Straits Times that it is in active discussions with NEA to organise industry townhall sessions to help restaurants clarify operational details and share best practices.

“We are encouraged by the transition support available, including government grants for smaller operators and free collection services for high-volume locations,” the spokesperson said. This period offers the market the opportunity to “harmonise new workflows”, from no-crush storage solutions to the training of staff in identifying the BCRS logo.

On the Return Right F&B scheme, the spokesperson said it allows restaurants to maintain a seamless guest experience by not charging the 10-cent deposit at the table.

Instead, the F&B establishment will manage the process during off-peak hours to recoup the value of the containers.

“We also encourage our members to explore innovative reverse logistics and mall/building-level aggregation to turn these new requirements into efficient, sustainable business habits,” the spokesperson added.