S'pore man, 53, collects discarded cans & bottles, says he's earned over S$1,000 in refunds in almost 2 months

A 53-year-old man has collected more than S$1,000 in refunds under Singapore’s Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) after spending nearly two months gathering discarded drink cans and bottles.

Under the BCRS, which was launched in April 2026, consumers pay an additional 10 cents for each drink in a container bearing the scheme’s logo.

The deposit is refunded when the empty bottle or can is returned to a designated Return Right machine.

Cycles to collect empty cans and bottles

In an interview with 8world, the man, who works near Amoy Street Food Centre, said he would cycle around the area after work to collect empty cans and beverage bottles left behind by others.

He said he often searches around Geylang and Tanjong Pagar, where there tend to be more people drinking at night.

Some people leave their empty cans beside rubbish bins after finishing their drinks, he said.

On the day he was interviewed, he estimated that he had collected about 100 bottles and cans.

He said he typically earns between S$10 and S$20 in refunds a day, with the money credited to his EZ-Link card.

The man said that even on weekends, he sometimes goes out to collect bottles and cans as many as three times a day.

After nearly two months of collecting, the refunds credited to his EZ-Link card have exceeded S$1,000.

Other people 8world interviewed gave various reasons and outcomes for collecting the cans and depositing them, including helping older folks who might not have the necessary app needed.