With the start of Phase Two, Safe Distancing Ambassadors (SDA) will double-up to strongly advise diners against leaving behind their used tissues or wet wipes on crockeries, tables or trays, and to return all used crockeries and trays, after their meals. NEA has enhanced penalties for lapses in toilet cleanliness since April 2020, and will launch a programme to refresh existing infrastructure of toilets in hawker centres and coffeeshops, while encouraging good toilet habits and social norms to keep public toilets clean and hygienic.

Singapore, 17 June 2020 – As a continuation of SG Clean’s efforts to rally stakeholders and members of the public to do their part to raise cleanliness standards of public spaces and encourage good personal habits, all diners at hawker centres and coffeeshops are strongly advised to properly dispose of their used tissues or wet wipes after their meals, when dine-in resumes in Phase Two of the re-opening. Diners are also reminded to do their part to maintain a clean dining environment by returning their trays and used crockeries after their meals. In addition, the National Environment Agency (NEA) will take a multi-pronged approach this year to uplift the cleanliness of public toilets in Singapore. This will cover key areas such as the design and infrastructure of toilets, enforcement, as well as engagement and outreach.

Enhancing Public Hygiene at Hawker Centres and Coffeeshops; SDAs double up to promote public hygiene at coffee shops and hawker centres

2          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. Respiratory discharges and sputum from persons with COVID-19, or other infectious respiratory illnesses, may contain viruses or bacteria. 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. Diners who dine in at hawker centres and coffeeshops should thus dispose of their soiled tissues or wet wipes properly at litter bins, or along with their used crockeries and trays at designated tray return points. This will also minimise the risk to cleaners, make their jobs easier, and contribute to better public hygiene at our hawker centres and coffee shops.

3          Diners are also strongly encouraged to be socially responsible, and return their trays and used crockeries to designated tray return racks or stations to be cleared. This will help keep dining tables clean for the next user, and minimise the risk of disease transmission to cleaners and other diners. These habits must be sustained as a way of life beyond COVID-19 to help reduce risks to public health (please refer to Annex A on guidelines on dining etiquette at hawker centres and coffeeshops).

4          From 19 June when dining in is allowed, Safe Distancing Ambassadors (SDA) at hawker centres and coffeeshops will also advise patrons to properly dispose of their used tissues or wet wipes after their meals, and strongly encourage patrons to return their used crockeries and trays to designated tray return racks or stations. This is the socially responsible and only right thing to do. There should be no concern of cleaners losing their jobs as they will still have cleaning tasks to perform at the tray return points or centralised dishwashing stations. We strongly urge members of the public to follow the advice of our SDAs to keep our public eating places clean and safe.   

Raising Public Toilet Cleanliness

5          In 2018, NEA’s Perception Survey of Hawker Centre Patrons found that hawker centres and coffeeshops are two most frequented eating establishments in a given month.  Clean and well-maintained public toilets are a key aspect of public health which NEA has been promoting, and this has gained an increased level of importance amidst the COVID-19 situation.  Clean toilets in eating establishments also helps ensure that food hygiene is not compromised.  

Toilet Improvement Programme for Hawker Centres and Coffeeshops

6          As good toilet design is a cornerstone to improving public toilet cleanliness, NEA will introduce a Toilet Improvement Programme for toilets in coffeeshops and hawker centres with ageing infrastructure. The programme sets out to provide co-funding for toilet infrastructural improvements to refresh the designs of older toilets to enhance public hygiene, and expedite the adoption of new technologies and productivity measures to facilitate toilet cleaning and maintenance.

7         The programme will also factor in downstream operations and maintenance issues. For example, a licensed cleaning business will be engaged to perform periodic thorough and professional cleaning of coffeeshop toilets, and a controlled-access system may also be put in place for coffeeshop patrons’ use only. To holistically safeguard public health, coffeeshops will also be encouraged to rescind their smoking corners and implement cleanliness measures such as a tray return system, to keep tables clean and allow cleaners to focus on other cleaning tasks.

8          The Toilet Improvement Programme for hawker centres will have upgrading works that focus on improving the design of the toilets and choice of sanitary fittings to make them easier to clean, as well as encouraging users to maintain toilet cleanliness. More details on the application process and the co-funding support provided will be made available in the later part of this year. 

Tightened Penalty Regime

9          Public toilet owners/operators play an important role in maintaining high standards of toilet cleanliness, and ensuring toilets are equipped with basic amenities such as liquid hand soap, toilet paper and litter bins.  With effect from 1 April 2020, both NEA and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) have enhanced the penalties for lapses in public toilet cleanliness.  For the failure to provide basic amenities such as soap or toilet paper, or to keep the toilet clean, owners/operators of public toilets will now be offered a composition fine of up to $400 and $500 for the first and subsequent offences, respectively. Under the EPHA, for lapses such as insufficient basic amenities and unclean toilets in food and non-food establishments, the maximum fine on first conviction is between $2,000 and $5,000, depending on the nature of the lapse.

Public Toilet Cleanliness Initiative 2020

10        In February 2020, NEA launched the SG Clean campaign to rally stakeholders and members of the public to do their part to keep Singapore clean.  As part of the SG Clean campaign, the Public Toilet Cleanliness initiative, which rolls out from 18 June to 23 July 2020, aims to encourage public toilet users to practise good toilet habits and to keep public toilets clean and hygienic.  The initiative highlights the four clean toilet behaviours of “flush, clean, bin and dry”[1] that users should practise to make our public toilets clean, safe and pleasant for all (please refer to Annex B for sample campaign visual).

11        Publicity would be focused on digital display panels in HDB estates, radio, digital and social media, as well as within public toilets. Subject to safe reopening advisories, small scale roadshows are planned at selected transport hubs and hawker centres to reinforce the key messages.

12        Similar to last year’s Public Toilet Cleanliness initiative, in partnership with the Restroom Association Singapore (RAS), NEA will be working with RAS and premises owners of selected locations to raise cleanliness standards. This will be done through a systematic framework comprising pre and post audits, implementing a Clean Toilet Checklist, user education through in-situ materials and training for cleaners.

13        In addition, NEA and RAS will offer a programme of toilet assessments and toilet cleaner training, to all coffeeshop operators at no cost. The programme will provide support for coffeeshop operators to take steps to ramp up toilet cleanliness standards.

14        Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Mr Masagos Zulkifli said, “In February, in response to the COVID-19 situation, we launched the SG Clean campaign to rally Singaporeans to keep Singapore clean and to safeguard public health. At the individual level, we called on Singaporeans to practise good personal hygiene and social responsibility through the “7 Habits of Good Public Hygiene”. Cleanliness and good standards of hygiene are our first lines of defence against evolving public health threats. We need to make simple habits such as returning our trays, and disposing used tissues or wipes properly social norms at hawker centres and coffeeshops. This will complement NEA’s renewed efforts to uplift public toilet cleanliness in Singapore. This is a multi-faceted and holistic approach involving infrastructure improvements, tightened enforcements and stakeholder engagements, to bring about a higher standard of public toilet cleanliness in Singapore.”

~~ End ~~

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

[1] The four key behaviours are:

ANNEX A




ANNEX B