New posters and banners will be progressively installed at all 111 hawker centres in 2020. Additional visual cues containing tray return messages and ground activations will also be rolled out at 20 hawker centres. These initiatives are in line with a recommendation by the Tray Return Workgroup to renew publicity on tray return.

Singapore, 22 July 2020 – To further step up the cleanliness of hawker centres, NEA has launched a Tray Return Programme to nudge diners at hawker centres to return their trays and keep the tables clean. New posters and banners have been rolled out to 20 hawker centres for a start, and will be rolled out progressively to all 111 hawker centres in 2020. The Tray Return Programme is also in line with one of the Tray Return Workgroup’s recommendations to renew publicity on tray return to cultivate positive tray return habits.

2          In 2017, a pilot study was done at Zion Riverside Food Centre and Adam Food Centre to improve tray return rates by promoting positive social norms. The study involved using visual and audio reminders to encourage diners to return their trays. The tray return rate at Zion Riverside Food Centre and Adam Food centre increased by about 20 per cent and 40 per cent respectively, and the project was subsequently rolled out to more hawker centres.

3          New or recently-furbished hawker centres with automated tray return and centralised dishwashing facilities have also achieved high average tray return rates of above 60 per cent. This compares favourably to a rate of close to 30 per cent at existing hawker centres with manual tray return racks. While progress has been made, and tray return is catching on at selected hawker centres, we recognise that more can be done to improve the rate of tray return at all our hawker centres. Aligned to the national SG Clean efforts, NEA has rolled out the Tray Return Programme to enhance the messaging on returning our trays and used crockery as a gracious act and practice of good social responsibility, in keeping our hawker centres clean and safeguarding public health.

Keeping Hawker Centres SG Clean

4          In February 2020, NEA launched the SG Clean campaign to rally stakeholders and members of the public to do their part to raise cleanliness standards of public spaces and encourage good personal habits. Along with this, the ‘7 habits of Good Public Hygiene’ was launched, which comprised returning of trays as part of practising social responsibility and good public hygiene.

5          In addition to the posters and banners carrying messages to raise public consciousness on tray return at all hawker centres (please refer to Annex A for sample poster), other visual cues containing tray return messages, such as wobblers and aprons worn by cleaners, have been rolled out at 20 hawker centres. These include  Blk 16 Bedok South Road, Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre and Blk 127 Toa Payoh Lor 1. These visuals aim to remind patrons and their dining companions to do their part to keep the hawker centres clean. Ground activations, such as photo pledges and digital games, will also take place at these hawker centres to promote the Tray Return Programme. NEA will review the effectiveness of these additional visual cues and ground activations before considering rolling them out to more hawker centres. To complement the on-ground efforts, NEA will also roll out publicity on various platforms, such as radio, digital and social media channels to further raise awareness on the importance of returning trays and keeping our eating places clean.

Proper Disposal of Used Tissues and Wet Wipes

6          In addition to returning trays and used crockery, diners are also reminded to be socially responsible and do their part to maintain a clean dining environment by properly disposing their used tissues or wet wipes after their meals. This should be done either by disposing them in litter bins, or together with used crockeries and trays at designated tray return points. Tissue paper or wet wipes can be contaminated as they are often used to cover one’s nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, or to wipe respiratory discharges and sputum. When used tissues or wet wipes are left around, they can pose a risk to others who touch them directly, or who touch the surfaces where they were placed. Proper disposal of used tissues and wet wipes will help keep the dining tables clean for the next user, and minimise the risk of disease transmission to cleaners and other diners.

Roles of Cleaners and SG Clean Ambassadors

7          The occasional comment that clearing one’s litter or trays would deprive cleaners of their jobs is false, and a mere excuse for not cleaning-up after oneself. Cleaners will still have cleaning tasks to perform at the tray return points or centralised dishwashing stations, and can better focus on cleaning tables. The public should not think they are being helpful to the cleaners by not clearing their trays or disposing their litter. In fact, leaving soiled tissues or wet wipes behind makes their cleaning jobs more difficult.

8          Since 19 June when dining in resumed, SG Clean Ambassadors have been deployed to hawker centres to advise patrons to return their trays and used crockery, and to dispose of their used tissues or wet wipes after their meals. Despite deploying our ambassadors, only about 60 per cent of diners complied when advised by our SG Clean Ambassadors to return their trays. This lack of consideration for the next diner and social responsibility about keeping our community dining rooms clean, is disappointing. We strongly urge members of the public to heed the advice of the SG Clean Ambassadors to keep our hawker centres clean and safe. These good hygiene habits must be sustained as a way of life beyond COVID-19 to reduce risks to public health.

Increasing Publicity on Tray Return - Tray Return Workgroup Recommendations

9          A workgroup on promoting tray return, co-chaired by Dr William Wan, General Secretary, Singapore Kindness Movement, and Mr Philip Tan, General Secretary, Bukit Merah Central Merchants and Hawkers Association, was formed in 2019, comprising hawkers and representatives from the food & beverage, technology, media and cleaning industries, to explore ideas to encourage graciousness and tray return at our hawker centres. One of the recommendations that resulted from the workgroup centered on having renewed publicity on tray return. This includes having on-site publicity, such as posters and banners at hawker centers, as well as on digital and social media platforms to carry the message of tray return. The other recommendations are as follows:             

• Garner greater support and involvement from local communities.
• Educate patrons on hawker centres being “community dining rooms” and they have a social responsibility in keeping hawker centres clean.
• Engage the cleaning industry in developing new process that recognises the importance of tray return as part of the cleaning process.
• Conduct deep dive research into psychological, social and behavioural change programming to support the development of tray return as a social norm.

10        These recommendations have been submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.

11        Dr Willian Wan, Co-Chairman of the Tray Return Workgroup said, “The success of the Tray Return Programme depends on each individual patron participating. To create a pleasant dining experience, every one of us should own the Hawker Centre as our Community Dining Space and take personal responsibility to return the tray and keep it clean for the next users. While the act of returning one’s tray has some traction in some centres, we need a tipping point to make it a social norm. And that can only happen when we as individuals commit ourselves to make it our personal norm and encourage others to do the same."

12        “Returning our trays and used crockery to tray return stations will help to promote better hygiene and cleanliness in hawker centres. Cleaners will also be able to better focus on table-cleaning and this will allow for a faster turn-around of tables. I hope that patrons will do their part and be gracious so that everyone will have a pleasant dining experience at hawker centres,” said Mr Philip Tan, Co-chairman of Tray Return Workgroup and Chairman of the Hawkers’ Association at Bukit Merah Central.

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ANNEX A

Sample of Tray Return Poster