SG man, 53, says he earns up to S$20 in refunds daily, making over S$1K in under 2 months collecting thrown-away cans & bottles
His daily collections show how Singapore’s new 10-cent deposit scheme is turning thrown-away drink containers and empty cans into a source of extra income This article ( SG man, 53, says he earns up to S$20 in refunds daily, making over S$1K in under 2 months collecting thrown-away cans & bottles ) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News .
A 53-year-old man from Singapore claims to have earned over S$1,000 in refunds within two months through Singapore’s beverage container return scheme. The man typically collects between S$10 and S$20 daily by gathering discarded drink cans and bottles after his regular job. He cycles through areas such as Geylang and Tanjong Pagar, sometimes making multiple trips on weekends.
The Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) began on April 1, 2026, and covers eligible plastic and metal drink containers ranging from 150 ml to 3 litres. Consumers pay a 10-cent deposit for containers with the BCRS Deposit Mark, which is returned to them when the container is deposited at a designated Return Right machine. The National Environment Agency expects the scheme to cover over one billion beverage containers annually and recover more than 16,000 tonnes of material.
The man's story highlights how small deposits can accumulate into a significant amount for those willing to collect hundreds of containers.
Written by urgent.news from The Independent Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
