Profile of Offenders and Fines Issued under Tray Return Campaign

Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment regarding the Clean Tables Campaign to achieve a higher tray/crockery return rate (a) how many fines have been issued so far; (b) what is the general profile of those who have been warned or fined; (c) what are the most common reasons cited for non-return of trays; and (d) whether targeted public education can be provided for these diners.

Enforcement action against table littering at hawker centres started on 1 September 2021, following a three-month advisory period. For diners who do not clear their dirty trays, crockery and litter, enforcement officers will first advise them to do so. Diners who refuse to heed officers' advice will have their particulars taken down and be issued written warnings if it is their first offence. Only second or subsequent offenders will be issued fines or sent to Court.

Thus far, diners have been generally cooperative at our hawker centres, with many taking the initiative to return their trays and dirty crockery after eating or doing so when advised. The common reason given by diners for not clearing the table after eating is that they had forgotten. To date, one written warning has been issued to a diner for refusing to heed enforcement officers' advice to return the dirty crockery. No fines have been issued.

The Singapore Food Agency will also be commencing enforcement against table littering at coffeeshops and food courts from 1 January 2022, with a two-month advisory period from 1 November 2021 to 31 December 2021.

We will continue with our extensive outreach efforts to ensure that the general public and key stakeholders are aware of the requirement to return their dirty trays and crockery after dining at public dining spaces. This includes multilingual outreach materials on mass media and social media platforms, onsite reminders at hawker centres, coffeeshops and food courts, as well as collaborations with grassroots organisations, schools and youth groups. We hope more diners will exercise their social responsibility, return their dirty trays and crockery, and for this to become a social norm in Singapore.

Thank you, Speaker and I thank the Senior Minister of State too. I have one supplementary question. In view of the ongoing manpower crunches, as well as the roll-out of this Clean Tables Campaign to coffee shops and food courts, could the Ministry consider supporting the adoption of technology in coffee shops and food courts such as deploying tray return robots or automated food waste digesters so as to further improve the cleanliness and environment of these dining areas?

I thank the Member for the supplementary question. Indeed, as the Member has noted, the cleaning services and waste management sector are facing a manpower crunch. With the ageing population and declining workforce going forward, this manpower crunch is likely to become even more acute. The average age of our cleaners is 60 years today. So, indeed this self-service concept as part of the Clean Tables Campaign that we have initiated is the more sustainable way going forward, to maintain the cleanliness and hygiene or public dining spaces including at the coffee shops and food courts.

This revised table cleaning workflow will give assurance to our ageing cleaners that their services continue to be needed and appreciated, and also give them better clarity on where to focus on. It will also create a safer and better working environment and perhaps, that will also help in terms of meeting manpower constraints, with better retention, or people who are thinking of joining the sector, might actually do so.

In addition, we also encourage the sector through our Environmental Services Industry Transformation Map to look into improving productivity, either through redesigning the workflow or by adopting technology, as the Member has mentioned. National Environment Agency (NEA)-licensed cleaning companies, premise owners, tenants, eligible ones, can actually apply for the Environmental Services Productivity Solutions Grant or ESPSG, which provides funding support for them to purchase cleaning and waste management equipment, such as autonomous cleaning robots and food waste digesters.

The first tranche of the ESPSG has concluded in August 2021 with a very strong demand, overwhelming demand indeed. We have approved 1,700 applications and committed a grant of $40.75 million. We are assessing the rest of the applications – about 1,200 to commit the remainder fund. NEA is also exploring the extension of this scheme.