KNN! Steve Holland joined our coaching staff which means…

SINGAPORE: Prices of bottled and canned drinks in Singapore could rise by S$0.25 (US$0.20) to S$0.60 when a new national recycling programme kicks in from April, according to several importers and small retailers who say they will struggle with multiple fees. The Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) is designed to cut waste and boost recycling rates by introducing a refundable deposit for drink containers. It is managed by a consortium of major beverage producers, including Coca-Cola, F&N Foods and Pokka, and supervised by the National Environment Agency (NEA). Under the scheme, consumers will pay an additional 10 cents when buying most bottled and canned beverages ranging from 150ml to 3 litres. That deposit can be refunded when an empty container is returned at designated collection points. While the concept appears straightforward, industry players say the costs of complying with the scheme are far more complex, particularly for importers and smaller businesses. These costs, they warn, are likely to be passed on to consumers.       NARROWER PRICE GAP BETWEEN LOCAL AND IMPORTED DRINKS At some heartland provision shops, a canned drink imported from Thailand or Indonesia can cost as little as S$0.70 today. Locally produced alternatives are often priced closer to S$1.  That price gap, however, may soon narrow because of the scheme’s fees. These include charges to register products, replace overseas barcodes and ensure that every can and bottle is traceable. Discount retailers that rely heavily on imported beverages say they will be hardest hit. For Tian Ma Group Holdings, which imports and sells drinks from across the region, the additional costs are unavoidable.   “I'll have no choice but to impose that cost onto the consumers and in the end, it's just going to increase the price overall,” said the company’s director Devang Bafna. At Tian Ma’s warehouse, close to a million bottles and cans across about 200 products pass through each month. Under the new rules, international barcodes currently used on imported drinks will no longer be accepted. Instead, importers must affix new BCRS-approved labels on each container. This process adds significantly to costs, and Mr Bafna said he is concerned that the company will not be able to compete with major local producers on price. “We have no cards to play. It's a domino effect. If one does it, the other has to do it, and it falls all on the consumer.” UNCERTAINTY FOR CRAFT BEER SELLERS Smaller importers face a different set of challenges. Craft beer businesses, for example, often bring in seasonal brews from countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom. Each batch typically comes with its own unique design. Under the BCRS, every new design must be registered separately, and importers must wait for approval before the product can be sold.     “We need to go through this whole process of product registration, waiting for 12 to 16 weeks before we can sell it,” said Ms Corrine Chia, co-founder of craft beer distributor The Drinking Partners. For craft beer products with a typical shelf life of around 12 months, this leaves a much shorter window to sell stock. Sticking labels onto cans and bottles also adds to manpower costs, she added. Ms Chia said she has met representatives from the BCRS but hopes smaller businesses will be better included in discussions. The scheme was originally meant to start in April 2025, but authorities pushed it back by a year as major beverage producers had requested more time to operationalise the scheme. “I think trying to get information has been a struggle. We don't know what's happening,” added Ms Chia. “There's a lot of fear that we are undergoing … but what we know for sure is that there's going to be higher costs coming in.” In response, the BCRS said it organised online workshops to educate producers about the scheme between late October and January. An average of about 70 participants attended each of the first three sessions, with three more scheduled for February. BREAKING DOWN THE COSTS According to BCRS, all beverage producers must first pay a mandatory one-time registration fee of S$500. Each individual product registered carries another S$5 fee. There is also a producer fee charged per unit, based on the type of packaging. Aluminium cans attract a fee of about 3 cents each, while plastic containers cost around 4 cents per unit. These fees go towards funding the collection, sorting and recycling of returned containers. Overseas importers must buy special barcode stickers with deposit marks so that reverse-vending machines can recognise them. These stickers cost between 4 and 18 cents each, depending on volume, and must be bought from appointed vendors. Some drinks also require separate Nutri-Grade labels, adding to the complexity. A further security fee is imposed on imports to prevent fraud, such as counterfeit stickers. According to the BCRS website, bringing in 100,000 units could require an upfront security fee of up to S$28,000 – or about 30 cents per unit. There are also potential penalties for under-declaration, late payments and investigations into breaches of the scheme’s rules. Collapse HOW BIG PLAYERS ARE COPING Major beverage producers did not say how their prices would change, but unlike importers, their production lines can print BCRS barcodes directly onto packaging, avoiding stickering costs. At a Coca-Cola manufacturing plant in Malaysia’s Negeri Sembilan that supplies both the Singapore and Malaysian markets, up to 1,000 bottles are produced every minute. Mr Tolga Cebe, chief executive officer for Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei at Bottling Investments Group, The Coca-Cola Company, said the transition requires changes across multiple parts of the business. “We will have to update and revise each and every packaging artwork in Singapore to be BCRS compliant,” he said. “This will entail some one-off transition costs, some changes in our production line and adjustments to manage the complexity, along with some systems and processes that will be required on the logistics side.” A recently announced extension to the transition period will allow companies like Coca-Cola more time to sell non-BCRS-compliant stock produced for the festive season. The European Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (EuroCham), which represents brewers such as Carlsberg and Heineken, said its members generally accept the sustainability goals behind the scheme. “I think companies are aware that there is additional cost involved in potentially manpower as well to adjust,” said EuroCham president Jens Ruebbert. “But I guess the greater good and the sustainability part of it is well accepted. I think public engagement is something which is very needed, and companies are aware, and we have gone through the same processes in other parts of the world.” WHAT CONSUMERS CAN EXPECT The reverse-vending machines under the BCRS will be similar to those piloted in Singapore in recent years, but with a different user interface. These machines are where consumers will return their empty containers. Three vendors – SG Recycle, Sweden-based RVM Systems and Norway’s TOMRA – have been approved to operate them. More than 1,000 machines are expected to be rolled out across the island by April. The initial rollout is slated to begin at major supermarkets before expanding to HDB estates and hawker centres. The method of refund is still being finalised, with options such as PayNow being considered. An official announcement on the rollout is expected by the end of the month. PUBLIC AWARENESS KEY Singapore’s household recycling rate fell to a record low of 11 per cent in 2024 despite initiatives such as bins for recyclables made available across the island. Months before the BCRS launch, some residents are also still unfamiliar with how it works, though many say the deposit could encourage better recycling habits if machines are conveniently located. Environmental groups stress that accessibility will be key, particularly for lower-income households. “First, there's an increase in cost, and a lot of times, the education may not reach them as well,” said Mr Lionel Dorai, executive director of Zero Waste Singapore. “I think what's important is that we ensure that the education comes from a whole-of-society approach.” Zero Waste Singapore has been working with NEA to install reverse-vending machines at its recycling hubs in areas such as Pioneer and Queenstown. The organisation said clustering multiple recycling options in one location has led to higher participation and lower contamination rates than the national average. LESSONS FROM ABROAD Singapore’s plastic recycling rate currently stands at about 5 per cent. In Taiwan, an incentive system has helped push PET bottle recycling rates to around 95 per cent. European countries such as Germany and Norway see rates above 90 per cent. Economists who study consumer behaviour say a deposit will move the needle and that the BCRS system, which has retailers and producers on board, works better than direct monetary handouts. “Getting everyone in this entire ecosystem will make everybody on the same page,” said Associate Professor Chua Yeow Hwee from Nanyang Technological University’s School of Social Sciences. “I think the goal here is to deliver lasting impact for Singapore, and to do so it takes a community effort to do that, and not just a single stakeholder.” Even so, industry players acknowledge there may be loopholes, such as importing drinks under 150ml, or in paper packets or glass bottles not covered under the scheme. NEA has said it will take action against the sale of non-BCRS-compliant cans and bottles from Oct 1, 2026. Source: CNA/mp(lt)

just curious how can the shop owner get it wrong even with cctv... hmm...

the ppl voted for it   hahahaha

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) may need to implement surge capacity for selected treatments if more people turn to public hospitals for subsidised healthcare resulting from changes to private health insurance, said Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung on Monday (Jan 12). Surge capacity refers to a healthcare system's ability to handle a sudden increase in demand beyond normal operational levels. Singapore recently implemented changes to Integrated Shield Plan (IP) riders to stem a growing exodus of patients from private to subsidised healthcare. Riders are optional add-ons that cover part of the deductible and co-insurance of a patient's Integrated Shield Plan. MOH announced last November that new riders will no longer be allowed to cover the minimum plan deductibles from Apr 1. Currently, policyholders with riders must co-pay at least 5 per cent of their bills, with insurers setting a co-payment cap of no less than S$3,000 (US$2,300) per year. This cap will be raised to a minimum of S$6,000 per year for riders sold from April 2026. Several Members of Parliament have expressed concerns that those on new riders may choose to seek care at public hospitals to reduce what they need to co-pay, said Mr Ong on Monday. The government will monitor this closely, and efforts to expand public health capacity are already ongoing, Mr Ong said. “If need be, we may need to implement surge capacity for selected treatments,” he added. He was responding to a parliamentary question from Dr Hamid Razak (PAP-West Coast-Jurong West) about what contingency measures have been developed to support restructured hospitals if there is higher patient volume due to shifts from private to public healthcare.   Over the last 10 to 15 years, the shift from private healthcare to public healthcare has been “very discernible”, and the rising cost of private hospital treatment is a key reason, said the health minister. In particular, IP riders are fuelling this cost increase, he added. “It will help the entire system, and in particular the public healthcare system, if more of them who can afford it stay with private hospital care,” said Mr Ong. “And so private hospital care has to become more accessible, more affordable, but we cannot do that without this adjustment in IP rider policy.” MOH and the Monetary Authority of Singapore work closely together to exercise regulatory oversight of IP insurers to ensure that policyholders’ interests are protected and that the products are sustainable, said the minister. The Health Ministry’s key role is to oversee the development and operation of Singapore’s public healthcare system. “For individuals who prefer private healthcare and purchase private insurance, we should not micromanage or prescribe the market practices,” said Mr Ong, adding that MOH instead sets requirements for key parameters. “We only step in when we see a serious market failure emerging, which is why we have intervened in this case to tighten the design of IP riders.”