Grab a chair, order yourself a second cup of Kopi-O gao, and sit down properly. We need to talk about a true local legend—a 53-year-old Singaporean man who took one look at our collective laziness and turned it into an absolute financial masterclass.

Let’s rewind a bit to April 2026, when the government officially rolled out the long-awaited Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS). The concept is simple: whenever you buy a canned soda, bottled green tea, or mineral water, you pay an extra 10-cent deposit upfront. To get your 10 cents back, all you have to do is carry your empty bottle to a designated “Return Right” reverse vending machine, scan it, and claim your refund. Easy, right?

Well, if you know Singaporeans, you know how this went down. Within a week, half the nation was grumbling:

“Wah lau, 10 cents only, who got time to carry empty sticky bottle inside my bag all day?”

So, what did most people do? Exactly what you’d expect. They would finish their Pokka Green Tea, 100PLUS, or Tiger Beer, walk up to a trash can, and instead of throwing the bottle inside, they would place it neatly on top of the dustbin or on a nearby ledge like a tiny 10-cent trophy. They didn’t want to throw away the deposit entirely, but they were too lazy to find a machine.

Most people saw trash. This Uncle saw an unexploited, recession-proof goldmine.

Phase 1: The Strategic Midnight Operations

While most working adults wrap up their 9-to-5 jobs, head home, turn on the air-con, and veg out in front of Netflix, our protagonist is just getting started.

By day, Uncle works hard around the Amoy Street Food Centre area. But the moment his shift ends, he doesn’t head home to rest. He unlocks his trusty bicycle, equips his heavy-duty collection bags, and officially logs into his late-night side hustle.

Now, a rookie recycler would just wander around randomly like a headless chicken. Not Uncle. He operates with the tactical efficiency of a military strategist. He specifically targets two high-yield goldmines: Tanjong Pagar and Geylang.

Think about the sheer genius of this route selection:

1. Tanjong Pagar: Packed with tired office workers having post-work drinks, Korean BBQ joints, and supper crowds leaving empty bottles everywhere.
2. Geylang: The undisputed capital of late-night suppers, frog porridge, and beer drinking.

What happens when people drink at night? They get happy, they get tipsy, and the last thing on their minds is holding onto an empty beer can to claim a 10-cent deposit. They leave their cans on kerbs, outdoor tables, bus stops, and rubbish bins. Uncle simply glides past on his bicycle, quietly harvesting the night’s yield like a silent recycling ninja.

On weekdays, it’s already a lucrative operation. But on weekends? When the drinking crowd reaches peak capacity, Uncle steps up his game. He hits the streets up to three times a day, sweeping the area continuously to make sure no 10-cent deposit is left behind.

Phase 2: Feeding the Jackpot Machine

On any given day, Uncle’s night-shift sweep yields around 100 bottles and aluminum cans. Once his bags are stuffed to the brim, he rides over to the nearest BCRS Return Right machine to execute the cash-out phase.

If you’ve ever used one of these reverse vending machines, you know it takes a few seconds to process each item. Imagine standing behind this Uncle at 11:00 PM while he feeds 100 cans into the machine one… by… one:

Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep…

It’s like watching someone hit the jackpot at Marina Bay Sands, except instead of casino chips dropping out, he is converting empty canned drinks into pure digital currency.

Every single day, the machine credits between S$10 to S$20 straight into his EZ-Link card.

Now, S$15 a day might not sound like a life-changing fortune to a high-flying banker, but let’s do the math over time. Uncle kept up this relentless routine for nearly two months. Day in, day out, rain or shine, cycling through the night, feeding the machine, and letting the refunds stack up.

The final grand total credited to his EZ-Link card? OVER S$1,000.

The Ultimate Flex: The Four-Digit EZ-Link Balance

Let’s take a moment to truly appreciate what a S$1,000 EZ-Link card balance means in Singapore.

For the average Singaporean, tapping into the MRT is a source of low-key anxiety. We’ve all experienced that moment of shame: you tap your card at the gantry, the barrier red-lights you with a loud BEEP, the screen displays “Stored Value Too Low”, and you have to do the walk of shame back to the top-up kiosk while the person behind almost bumps into you.

Meanwhile, this Uncle is tapping through the MRT gantries with a four-digit balance like absolute royalty.

• He can tap into the MRT at Pasir Ris, ride all the way to Tuas Link, realize he forgot his wallet, ride all the way back to Changi Airport, and not even care.
• He could probably tap his EZ-Link card to buy meals, snacks, and groceries at 7-Eleven for the next six months without ever needing to look at his bank account.
• He achieved all of this without risking a single cent in crypto, buying single-stock options, or joining a multi-level marketing scheme.

His entire investment strategy consisted of a bicycle, a few plastic bags, garang spirit, and the total willingness to pick up what lazy people threw away.

The Big Takeaway

People are always complaining that cost of living in Singapore is high, but Uncle proved that opportunity is literally sitting on top of public dustbins, waiting for someone to pick it up.

In one single move, Uncle:

• Got a full-body cardio workout every single night.
• Cleaned up the streets of Tanjong Pagar and Geylang better than any municipal schedule.
• Helped Singapore reach its sustainability and recycling targets.
• Fully funded his public transport fares for the foreseeable future.

So, the next time you finish a bottle of Green Tea or a canned drink and feel too lazy to walk to a Return Right machine, don’t feel guilty when you leave it on top of the bin. Just smile, step aside, and know that you are humbly contributing to Uncle’s lifetime supply of free MRT rides and Teh C.

Salute to you, Uncle. Truly the Boss of BCRS! 🚲💨

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