Singapore, 8 December 2020 – With more people staying and working from home this year end, the National Environment Agency (NEA) would like to remind the community to take ownership of and foster collective responsibility for our environment, and to do their part in keeping Singapore clean. As we approach the year-end festive season, members of the public are reminded to practise sustainable living habits and good personal hygiene practices, mosquito-proof their homes, return their trays when dining out and bin their litter responsibly.

2          NEA has put together a list of tips that members of the public can adopt as we approach the year-end festive season. We encourage everyone to cultivate these habits as part of their lifestyle, and to remind family members or neighbours to do likewise (refer to Annex A for list of tips). In line with the SG Clean campaign, everyone should also continue to uphold good personal hygiene practices. By instilling a national culture of keeping Singapore clean and working collectively as a community, we can cultivate a greater sense of responsibility for the cleanliness of our shared spaces in Singapore. The tips also remind us that our individual actions can contribute to shared larger goals such as conserving our resources and contributing to a sustainable environment for Singapore.

3          The tips centre around caring for the environment, for others, and for ourselves and our loved ones.

Care for the environment

• Build 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) habits
  • Choose reusables and bring along reusable containers, cutlery and bags when you head out
  • Recycle Right to prevent contamination of recyclables.
    • Many household items can be recycled, like those made of paper (except tissues), cardboard, plastic, metal cans and glass bottles.
    • Ensure that your recyclables are not contaminated with food or liquid waste before they are deposited into the blue recycling bins or recycling chutes. (Refer to Annex B for the recycling bin label on what can and cannot be recycled.)
  • Set up a designated recycling bin/box/bag next to the general waste bins at home, to help everyone in the household to get started on recycling.

• Avoid food waste
  • Buy and order only what you can finish
  • When buying groceries, make a shopping list and keep to it
  • Keep near-expiry food items within easy view
  • Store excess food properly to avoid wastage
  • Order only what you can eat, and say ‘no” to side dishes that you do not eat
  • Ask for less rice or noodles when ordering, if you cannot finish them

• Donate when de-cluttering 
  • For those who are planning to de-clutter your home, do consider donating items such as clothes, shoes, toys, electronics and canned food that are in good condition, instead of disposing of them.

Care for others

• Return your trays when dining out and dispose of used tissues in litter bins instead of leaving them on tables.

• Practise good toilet hygiene
  • Flush toilet full
  • Keep toilet seats clean
  • Bin litter properly
  • Keep the floor dry

Care for yourself and your loved ones

• Mosquito-proof your home and do the Mozzie Wipeout, even if you are planning to go on short staycations. Do not leave litter behind in public areas as they can become potential mosquito breeding habitats.

4        At the same time, while NEA continues to enforce for public health offences during this year-end festive season, it is not sustainable for NEA to deploy officers everywhere 24/7. If you see someone littering or smoking in a prohibited place, step forward and remind the other person to observe the laws and be considerate. For instance, we can remind smokers not to light up in prohibited places, and keep public spaces clean by not littering.

5      Everyone has a part to play in upholding high standards of public health, and maintaining a clean, sustainable and liveable environment in Singapore. No contribution is too small, and our collective efforts to conserve our resources today will pave the way towards a sustainable environment for future generations.

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For more information, please submit your enquiries electronically via the Online Feedback Form or myENV mobile application. Alternatively, you contact us at 6225 5632.

 Annex A

List of Tips

Annex B

Recycling Bin Label