Public Cleanliness

NEA oversees the cleaning of public areas in Singapore, and has ensured that the streets and pavements are kept litter-free. Together with the cooperation of the general public, our efforts have helped Singapore to earn a reputation as a clean and attractive city.

We take a three-pronged approach to keeping our environment clean, which comprises of:

• Cleaning of Public Areas
• Public Education
• Enforcement

Cleaning of Public Areas

Prior to April 2012, NEA was only responsible for the cleaning of roads, pavements as well as certain private estates and public areas throughout Singapore. Besides NEA, other agencies such as PUB and NParks were responsible for the cleaning of their own areas of responsibility such as drains and park areas.

In order to improve efficiency and deliver a higher standard of public cleanliness, the cleaning of public areas in Singapore went through a major restructuring and a new Department of Public Cleanliness (DPC) was formed on 1 April 2012. More information about the DPC can be found here.

The efforts to raise the standards, productivity and professionalism of the cleaning industry can be found here.

Public Education

The NEA works closely with our 3P Partners (the people, public and private sectors) to rally members of the community to take ownership of their litter and keep their surroundings clean.

The key message behind our education efforts is that the public should not rely on cleaners to clean up after them. Rather, they should exercise personal responsibility by holding on to their litter until they find a bin to dispose of it. One of the main programmes is the “Singapore, Litter-Free” campaign. 

Enforcement

The NEA metes out strict enforcement measures to deter litterbugs and complement public education as a key strategy to sustain public cleanliness.

A fine of $300 can be imposed on a first time offender.In addition, under the amended Environmental Public Health Act, maximum court penalties for littering-related offences have been doubled since 1 April 2014.

The Corrective Work Order (CWO) was introduced as a means of reforming littering offenders in November 2012. Recalcitrant offenders prosecuted in court may be required to carry out CWO by picking or sweeping up litter to reflect on the hardship that cleaners have to endure to clean up the mess they create, and how litter can mar our living environment. Additionally, the CWO also carries an element of shame which serves as an effective deterrent to discourage others from littering.