Singapore’s beverage container return scheme operator said on 13 November 2026 that it had adjusted the settings on its Return Right machines after a video appeared to show a man repeatedly scanning the same can and feeding other containers into a machine.
BCRS Ltd said the can used for scanning carried the 10-cent deposit mark and described the containers put into the machine as ineligible. The operator worked with its return network partners to make the adjustments. It did not explain what settings it changed.
Employer Says It Is Reviewing the Incident
8world reported that the man appeared to feed seven different containers into the machine in about 30 seconds. Some of the containers appeared to be crushed.
Waste management company Re Sustainability Singapore confirmed to 8world on 10 November that the man was an employee and said it was looking into what happened. When The Straits Times asked BCRS Ltd whether it was investigating the incident, the scheme operator declined to discuss the specifics.
How Return Right Checks Refunds
BCRS Ltd said all Return Right machines keep digital transaction records and have round-the-clock CCTV and fraud detection tools. It checks refund claims against transaction records and looks for unusual activity across its network. The operator said it takes deliberate misuse and fraudulent claims seriously and asked the public to report suspected misuse directly to BCRS Ltd.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said it had reminded BCRS Ltd to guard against deliberate misuse. The agency will continue reviewing the system with the operator and strengthen safeguards where needed.
To get the 10-cent deposit back, return an empty, uncrushed container with the scheme’s deposit mark and a readable barcode. The machines issue refunds through SimplyGo EZ-Link or DBS PayLah!
