Refund Failure Complaints from Beverage Container Return Scheme

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment since the Beverage Container Return Scheme's launch (a) how many complaints have been received regarding refund failures; (b) what is the average resolution time for such complaints; and (c) whether automated refund crediting can be considered.

The response to this question also addresses a related Parliamentary Question on failed deposit refund transactions filed by Mr Alex Yeo for the Sitting on or after 9 September 20261.

In the first five months of the Return Right Beverage Container Return Scheme, 95% of the 3.5 million transactions at the Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) were refunded on the spot.

For the remaining transactions, the scheme operator, BCRS Ltd, has committed to refunding the deposits within 30 days upon receiving the information required to process the claim. The time is needed to establish the validity of the claim and reconcile transaction records while guarding against fraudulent refund requests. As the scheme was launched only a few months ago, more time had been taken on a handful of cases, even as BCRS Ltd actively improves their workflow.

BCRS Ltd is required to ensure that refunds are made for all valid transactions. The National Environment Agency is closely monitoring the rates of failed transactions at RVMs and the refunds made by BCRS Ltd. We will track BCRS Ltd's detailed performance metrics as the scheme's operations stabilise.