Practice Theory worked on the branding strategy and design for Singapore’s Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS), the first nation-wide initiative designed to encourage the return and recycling of drink containers through a deposit-refund system.

As the lead brand strategist, my role focused on shaping the scheme’s public-facing narrative, developing consumer profiles, and coming up with a public-facing name that could clearly communicate its purpose at a national scale. Due to the scale of the scheme, I had to define its brand architecture across its different stakeholders.This meant clarifying how BCRS (the scheme operator), RETURN RIGHT (the public-facing initiative), and National Environmental Agency (the governing authority) would operate together while maintaining distinct roles.

Through qualitative and quantitative research (in partnership with Blackbox), my research revealed that Singaporeans generally understand the importance of recycling, yet many do not actually walk the talk. So how do we create, engage, and influence a culture of individual and shared responsibility towards recycling in Singapore?

Understanding this helped us identify an opportunity to reposition recycling as a simple and impactful act of participation rather than inconvenient disposal. This allowed us to present the act of recycling as motivated by convenience, clarity, and social currency instead.

The name was also conceptualised as a simple, action-oriented statement. Transforming "return" into a verb, RETURN RIGHT reframes recycling from an act of disposal into one of participation, emphasising both the continued value of materials and the individual's role within a circular economy.

The scheme has been officially rolled out since April 2026.