CNY Spring Cleaning? Here's How You Can Turn Your Trash Into Cash

It’s CNY and you’ll likely be in the mode of spring cleaning this week!

Recycling is pretty much an activity some of us do when we have the time to clean and dry the items, before lugging them out to the blue recycling bins below our HDB flats.

It’s nice knowing we’re doing good, but what if I say you can earn some extra cash from recycling?

Let’s find out how you can do so!

TL;DR: Turn Your Trash Into Cash This CNY

Click here to jump:

• General recycling: Cash-for-Trash programmes
• Water bottles and cans: RecycleNSave or Reverse Vending Machine
• Recycling used clothes: Refash
• Trade-in Apple & Samsung smartphones and devices

Cash for Trash Programmes

Cash-for-Trash is an incentive programme operated by public waste collectors in Singapore.

Residents are highly encouraged to bring their clean recyclables to the collection stations and get offered cash rebates for recycling.

Ezi-recycling

Currently, SembWaste’s Ezi runs this programme islandwide, and you can expect to earn some cash rebates.

1. Download the ezi app via the Google Playstore & Apple App Store and create an ezi account
2. Bring your clean recyclables down to the ezi Cash-for-Trash stations
3. Scan the QR code at the station using the ezi app
4. Select your payment option, and you can get paid from there!

Without further ado, this is how much cash rebates you could be getting:

It’s not a lot of money but at the very least, you’re getting some form of incentive.

Do note that the waste collector will not operate on these dates this CNY: 21, 22, 28, and 29 Jan 2023

Ezi Cash-for-Trash stations: Locations

ALBA Waste Collector is another operator that runs this programme.

However, their Cash-for-Trash operations are currently paused due to CNY and will resume on 28 Jan 2023.

For non-CNY days, you will need to refer to their schedule for the location and time.

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Recycle N Save’s Reverse Vending Machine

Next up, we have the Recycle N Save programme.

This programme is a joint initiative by F&N and the National Environment Agency (NEA) where 50 Reverse Vending Machines (RVM) are placed across Singapore to encourage the recycling of used plastic drink bottles and aluminium drink cans.

While you won’t be receiving cash or rebates from this initiative, you’ll be able to receive rewards still.

For every 10 plastic bottles or cans deposited, you will be rewarded:

• 10 STAR$ (CapitaStar)
• ActiveSG $0.50
• Anywheel 30mins Free Ride.

There may not be as many collection points as compared to the Cash-for-Trade programme, but this is still better than dumping your recyclables into the blue bins that are badly misunderstood and often misused.

Locations: Collection points

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Refash

If buying new CNY clothes is what you do yearly, sell your old clothes and give them a second life!

Preloved clothing that is still in wearable condition can be sold to a thrift fashion brand, Refash.

Do note that you should have minimally 10 pieces of clothes to sell!

All you need to do now is to pack and drop off your clothes at the REFASH HQ or any REFASH stores*. You will get paid in cash or credits for your accepted items within 60 working days.

*Menswear, Premium brands, Activewear & Maternity wear are not accepted in stores

Do note that your clothes will be tiered and the payout does not necessarily fetch a payout amount even if the brand of your clothes is Tier A.

Your payout value is dependent on your apparel, based on all of these factors: Brand, Trend, Condition, Material, Popularity and Type of apparel.

Now, let’s dive deeper by looking at REFASH’s payouts:

Are you ready to resell your clothes?

Because I am!

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Trade in Your Apple or Samsung Devices

This is for Apple and Samsung fans!

If you have preloved devices that you no longer wish to keep, you can bring them to the respective giant tech stores and receive trade-in credit.

Apple’s approved third-party partner (CompAsia) will give you a quote for what your current device is worth online, and you can get credit via bank transfer for your next purchase – well, you have to be prepared to shell out another thousand dollars for the new iPhone…

Do note that the offer is only available via Apple’s approved third-party partner, and not all devices are eligible for credit.

Trading in with Apple is as straightforward as it gets, just head over to the trade-in website and select the device(s) you want to trade in:

Apple’s long-time rival, Samsung, also has a trade-in programme for devices.

Following verification and approval of the eligible smartphones, you can choose to receive cash by bank transfer or apply the amount toward your subsequent purchase.

The programme is run by PC Dreams, a third-party supplier. You can still choose to recycle your Samsung products in-store at PC Dreams even if your smartphone isn’t qualified.

Before you miss it, Samsung is running a trade-in promotion – Trade Up – from now till 31 Jan 2023!

For every eligible device, you will receive an additional $200 trade-in value!

Note: You can trade in devices of other brands at Apple and Samsung, subject to eligibility.

Some notable smartphone brands include: Huawei (Mate, Nova, P series), Google (Pixel & Google Pixel series), Oppo (A9, Reno, Find, Reno3) & Xiaomi (Redmi Note, Mi 10T)

Trade-in online or in-store:

• Apple (online only)
• Samsung (both online and in-store)

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