90% tray-return rate at hawker centres now, up from 65% in August 2021; enforcement to start from June 1
SINGAPORE — The tray and crockery return rate at hawker centres has shot up to 91 per cent currently from 65 per cent before the introduction of a rule requiring this practice in September 2021. The return rate at coffee shops and food courts has held steady at 90 per cent.
- The tray and crockery return rate at hawker centres has jumped to 91 per cent currently, from 65 per cent before the introduction of a rule requiring the practice in September 2021
- The return rate at coffee shops and food courts has held steady at 90 per cent
- The release of the figures comes as the authorities said enforcement of the rule will be stepped up from Thursday (June 1)
- Enforcement officers will take down the particulars of those not complying with the rule
SINGAPORE — The tray and crockery return rate at hawker centres has shot up to 91 per cent currently from 65 per cent in August 2021, before the introduction of a rule requiring this practice in September that year. The return rate at coffee shops and food courts has held steady at 90 per cent.
This represents a jump in the return rate at hawker centres of 26 percentage points in under two years. The release of the figures on Wednesday (May 31) came as the authorities announced the stepping up of enforcement by officers of the tray, crockery and litter return rule.
From Thursday, enforcement officers will start taking down the particulars of diners who do not return their used trays and crockery and any litter after finishing their meals at hawker centres, coffee shops and food courts.
First-time offenders will be issued with a written warning, while repeat offenders will be fined or charged in court, the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said in a joint media release on Wednesday.
The stepping up of enforcement action is part of efforts to enforce the tray-return rule, introduced progressively in 2021 and 2022.
Until now, enforcement officers would advise diners who did not clear their trays to do so, and only those who failed to follow advice were issued written warnings, the agencies said.
Diners who leave behind tissues, empty drink cans or food remnants such as shells and bones will also have their particulars taken down by enforcement officers, the agencies said.
Diners should return their litter together with their used crockery at the tray and crockery return stations, they added.
The two agencies started enforcing against table littering at hawker centres on Sept 1, 2021, and at coffee shops and food courts from Jan 1, 2022.
The NEA and SFA said that they will conduct regular checks at hawker centres, coffee shops and food courts to ensure that they maintain cleanliness standards and provide sufficient tray return racks.
NEA will also continue to work closely with hawkers’ associations, operators and cleaning contractors to improve the cleanliness of hawker centres, through infrastructural upgrades such as centralising existing tray and crockery return racks, and improving workflow and manpower deployment.
“The stepped-up enforcement on table littering from June 1 onwards aims to ensure that the good efforts of the majority who return their used trays and crockery are not marred by the inconsiderate behaviour of the minority,” NEA and SFA said.
“NEA and SFA will continue to reach out to members of the public to remind everyone to keep Singapore clean. We urge the public to cooperate with the enforcement officers if approached by them.”
Source: TODAY
