G/TBT/N/SGP/67  
23 November 2022  
(22-8716) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  SINGAPORE  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:   
National Environment Agency (NEA)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Mr Bryan  Ong 
Executive Engineer, Department of Sustainability Strategy, Sustainability Division, NEA  
40 Scotts Road, Environment Building, #19 -00 
Singapore 228231  
Email: bryan_ong@nea.gov.sg  
Ms Toh Swee Hoon  
Senior Engineer, Department of Sustainability Strategy, Sustainability Division, NEA  
40 Scotts Road, Environment Building, #19 -00 
Singapore 228231  
Email: TOH_Swee_Hoon@nea.gov.sg  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], 3.2 [  ], 7.2 [  ], 
other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  All pre -
packaged beverages in plastic bottles and metal cans that are 150ml (inclusive) – 3000ml 
(inclusive)  
S/N  HS Description  HS Code  
1 Milk and cream, not concentrated nor containing added 
sugar or other sweetening matter  04.01  
2 Fruit or nut juices (including grape must and coconut water) 
and vegetable juices, unfermented and not containing added 
spirit, whether or not containing added sugar or other 
sweetening matter.  20.09  
3 Beverages, spirits and vinegar  22 
 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Resource 
Sustainability (Amendment) Bill  
6. Description of content:  The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and the 
National Environment Agency will be introducing a beverage container return scheme 
(otherwise commonly known as a Deposit Refund Scheme, Container Deposit Scheme or 
Bottle Bill) for Singapore. Under the scheme, a small deposit will be applied to certain G/TBT/N/SGP/67  
 
- 2 - 
 
  beverage containers when consumers buy a pre -packaged beverage. Consumers can then 
claim a deposit refund by re turning their empty beverage container to a designated return 
point. The beverage producers (i.e., importers, manufacturers) will pay for and/or run 
the scheme for the collection and recycling of the returned empty beverage containers. 
To help consumers id entify containers covered under the Scheme, beverage containers 
must be labelled with a deposit mark. Otherwise, refunds could be wrongly claimed on 
beverage containers where a deposit was not paid in the first place, such as those bought 
overseas. The dep osit mark will also facilitate the return of containers at manual return 
point locations.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Through the implementation of the scheme, Singapore aims to:  
1. Increase the recyc ling rate of beverage containers and reduce the amount of 
waste disposed of as well as carbon emissions at waste -to-energy plants; and  
2. Raise consumer awareness on the importance of 3Rs (i.e., Reduce, Reuse, 
Recycle) and encourage good recycling practices.  
8. Relevant documents:   
Further details of the Scheme can be found in the following documents:  
https://www.go.gov.sg/nea -bcrs: 
1. Annex: Public Consultation on Proposed Beverage Container Return Scheme (28 
pages)  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  First quarter of 2023  
Proposed date of entry into force:  Mid-2024 
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
Please write in to:  
National Environment Agency  
40 Scotts Road, Environment Building  
Singapore 228231  
Email:  
bryan_ong@nea.gov.sg  
TOH_Swee_Hoon@nea.gov.sg