The retiree returns dozens of containers each time, earning a few dollars in deposits — the result of hours spent scouring her neighbourhood for discarded drink cans and bottles....
"For this one, there's much more money," she said in Mandarin, adding that she used to earn S$0.50 (US$0.39) for every 1kg of containers she sold to the rag-and-bone man.
She has lost track of how often she has used the reverse vending machine, but estimated earning more than S$10 from returning containers.
Under the scheme, consumers have to pay a refundable 10-cent deposit on eligible beverage containers, comprising pre-packaged plastic or metal containers with volumes between 150ml and 3,000ml. CNA
Singaporeans now have a new destination to visit other than the church. There are many reverse vending machines being placed in housing estates for Singaporeans to visit regularly to deposit their plastic and metal containers, and be rewarded with 10c or 15c per container. Oops, locals and foreigners can also do the same. They will not only be doing a good deed to save the world, to green the world, but also be rewarded with a few dollars or a few cents, depending on how many containers they brought along.
Retirees like the one mentioned in the above quote would be very happy to do so, doing some good deeds and getting some pocket money, and also as a form of exercise. If 50% of the 6m residents do it once a week, you can imagine the traffic flow, 3m trips a week or 12m trips a month or 144m trips a year. Additional positive effect of these visits is that the retirees and those without an income could actually generate some income by working a bit harder scouring for discarded containers.
Who are the real people paying for this and for the machine, the staffing and system management, the consumers of drinks, beers and whatever that have recyclable containers of course. The whole system and movement of millions of people are all paid by the consumers of plastic bottles and metal containers. Please don't remind these consumers that they now have to pay more for their drinks because of this great scheme. For many, especially the millionaires, what is paying a few dollars more? For those who are living from pay check to pay check, sorry lah, just pay more visits to these machines to get your money back or absorb the higher cost.
Singapore being one of the richest country in the world, many would not be bothered to make such trips for a few cents or a few dollars. Small change. One thing will change, the lifestyle of Singaporeans and how they would allocate time for this ritual as part and parcel of life in the island. How long will this fad last? For the happy retirees, this will be a part of their lives, collecting metal containers and plastic bottles and to visit the shrines to earn some pocket money. It can be a happy daily ritual.
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