Committee of Supply 2026 debate, Day 4: Janil Puthucheary on Beverage Container Return Scheme and Heat Resilience Policy Office

Singapore’s new Beverage Container Return Scheme will be launched on Apr 1 under the name "Return Right" and F&B outlets now have clearer guidelines on how to handle the refundable 10-cent deposit on drinks. Dine-in spots that collect drink bottles or cans may opt not to charge customers the deposit. Those that do charge should let customers take the container and claim the refund when they return it. Hawker centres and coffee shops are likely to do this too. Major supermarket operators will display drink prices without the deposit, reflecting it at checkout. These details were given by Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary in parliament on Tuesday (Mar 3). He also revealed that a new Heat Resilience Policy Office has been set up, bringing together various ministries to coordinate action, oversee research and represent Singapore internationally. An R&D programme will also be launched to advance capabilities and investments in heat resilience research through two pillars - one focused on infrastructure solutions and the other on understanding and managing heat impacts on society.