Living in Singapore · Practical life · 6 min
Recycling in Singapore: the blue bin rule and the new deposit scheme
Empty, clean and dry: the blue bin mantra in Singapore. And from April 2026, a refundable deposit changes how drink containers get recycled.
Updated Sep 24, 2026
Singapore mixes recyclable paper, plastic, glass and metal into a single blue bin, but food, liquids, electronics and bulky furniture take a different route. The rule that sums it all up: empty, clean and dry, as the NEA describes for home recycling.
What goes in the blue bin (and what does not)
The blue bin rule
- Goes in: paper, cardboard, cans, glass and recyclable plastic, always empty, clean and dry.
- Never goes in: food, liquids, batteries, clothing, medicine or electronics.
- If a container still has food or liquid in it, rinse and dry it before recycling.
- If it cannot be cleaned properly, it goes into general waste, not the blue bin. A dirty container can contaminate the whole batch.
The 10-cent refundable deposit on drink containers
Since 1 April 2026, the National Environment Agency's Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) is in effect: plastic and metal drink containers between 150 ml and 3 litres that carry the BCRS Deposit Mark have a refundable S$0.10 deposit.
How to get the deposit back
Empty the container without crushing it and return it to a Return Right machine. The official map is at returnright.sg. A crushed container may not be accepted by the machine.
Until 30 September 2026 there is a transition period: containers without the mark can still be sold, but they do not earn a refund. From 1 October 2026, every regulated product supplied in Singapore must carry the mark. Without it, the container still recycles normally in the blue bin. It just does not earn a refund.
Furniture, mattresses and appliances
Do not leave mattresses, furniture or appliances by the rubbish chute without arranging collection. That is not the correct way to get rid of them. If you live in an HDB flat, contact your Town Council: some offer bulky-item collection, but the conditions, quotas and schedules vary by area. Do not assume a fixed number of free items everywhere.
If you live in a condo, ask management for the collection point and the authorised vendor. For appliances and electronics, use the NEA's e-waste take-back programmes, never the blue bin, which is not meant for that.
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