A video showing a man repeatedly scanning the barcode of a single drink can before inserting different cans into a Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) machine has sparked debate among Singaporeans over whether he was exploiting a loophole in the recycling system.
The footage, which was shared on social media, showed the man standing beside a return machine with a large black garbage bag filled with cans.
Instead of scanning each can individually, he appeared to scan the barcode of one can before removing it once the machine’s indicator turned blue, signalling that the barcode had been accepted.
He would then insert another can into the machine and repeat the process.
The unusual method allowed him to return multiple cans, prompting some viewers to question whether the machine’s refund mechanism could be manipulated.
Video Attracts Millions Of Views Online
The video was initially shared on Facebook, where it reportedly attracted around 2.4 million views.
It was also uploaded to TikTok on 9 November, with the caption asking whether the man’s actions were legal.
Some social media users accused the man of cheating the system, while others believed he had simply discovered a faster way to process large quantities of cans.
One possible explanation raised by commenters was that some of the cans might have been dented, making it difficult for the machine to recognise their barcodes.
By scanning a can with a barcode that could be easily detected, the man might have been using it to speed up the process.
Another commenter suggested that positioning each can correctly for barcode scanning could be time-consuming, particularly when dealing with hundreds of containers.
Singaporeans Divided Over His Actions
The incident also sparked a debate over whether the man was actually doing anything wrong.
Some commenters described his method as a clever workaround, suggesting that he was simply trying to save time rather than deliberately cheat the system.
Others pointed out that the main objective of the BCRS was to encourage recycling and reduce beverage container waste.
One Facebook user argued that the objective had ultimately been achieved, since the man was still returning used cans for recycling.
However, others questioned whether the cans being returned were actually eligible for the 10-cent refund.
Under Singapore’s Beverage Container Return Scheme, only eligible drink containers carrying the official BCRS logo qualify for the deposit refund.
It remains unclear whether the cans shown in the video carried the required markings or whether the machine registered each individual container correctly.
The incident has since prompted discussions about how the machines verify returned containers and whether their scanning systems could be exploited.