News
Woman with 5 huge bags of containers at BCRS machine sparks debate
She elicited various reactions online.
October 08, 2026, 02:35 PM
Photos from sgfollowsall/Instagram and Return Right with BCRS/Facebook
A woman was spotted with a substantial amount of beverage containers at a BCRS machine, eliciting various reactions online.
She was recorded in a video posted on Instagram by account sgfollowsall on Oct. 8.
Three huge bags that reached her chin
In the video, she can be seen with five large garbage bags filled to the brim, presumably with beverage containers.
Three bags were stacked to a height that reached her chin.
BCRS, or the Beverage Container Return Scheme, involves consumers returning drink containers to machines in order to receive a S$0.10 refund for each container.
Don't be kaypoh
Her actions quickly drew reactions from commenters.
A number of them quipped that the woman might have been doing so out of necessity.
"This is what people do to survive," the top comment read.
One chided the poster for uploading the video, questioning why they recorded someone who might be in need.
The commenter called them "kaypoh", or nosy, and remarked that the poster might have been looking for quick attention and fame on social media.
Other users pointed to the fact that the woman appeared to be wearing a t-shirt printed with the word "Balenciaga", which is a luxury fashion brand.
One commenter wrote: "How many bottles to change 1 balenciaga?"
Shock and awe
Some other comments expressed disbelief at the number of drink containers she brought.
One questioned how she was able to obtain this many containers, calling it "crazy work".
Another wondered how long she would take to finish processing all the containers.
In response, other users shared their experiences with the machine and its relatively slow speed, with one commenter saying that they once witnessed a man taking "10-12 minutes" to process 24 cans and bottles.
According to The Straits Times, each BCRS machine can hold either 1,000 or 2,000 containers depending on its size.
Her actions came in the wake of other incidents involving members of the public returning containers to BCRS machines.
Past reports include a man who spent two to three hours each day collecting bottles and cans to offset living expenses.
After a man and a child was seen presumably rummaging through a trash bin to look for containers, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said that such actions were against the law.
