No extension to advisory period for returning trays; enforcement to start Sep 1: NEA
SINGAPORE: From Sep 1, diners who do not return their trays and crockery after their meals will be issued warnings and fines, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) in a statement on Tuesday (Jun 22).
NEA had announced in May that it would have a three-month advisory period from Jun 1 to help diners familiarise and adjust with the new rules. During this period, the agency had said that it would not take enforcement action.
However, dining-in at eateries including hawker centres had been barred due to tightened COVID-19 measures and was only allowed to resume on Monday.
Despite this, enforcement of the rules will still be carried out on Sep 1 as planned.Â
READ:Â Dining in to resume from Jun 21 but in groups of two, not five
READ:Â F&B outlets 'very happy' to resume dine-in amid 'challenging' two-people rule
Speaking to reporters during a visit to North Bridge Road Market & Food Centre, Senior Minister of State of Sustainability and the Environment Dr Amy Khor said authorities will intensify outreach and publicity efforts to raise awareness.
“We have more than two months of this advisory period left till Sep 1, we think that that should be sufficient to raise awareness and also to get more people to pick up this habit of clearing their tables,” said Dr Khor.Â
“Even when we start enforcement on Sep 1, I think we need to remember that we will still continue to advise diners to return their used trays and crockery and to clear the tables.”
“It’s only if - on advice - they do not comply, then we may issue them a warning on the first offence and then subsequently, there could be a fine or a court attendance,” she added.
MORE DINERS RETURNING THEIR TRAYS
When CNA visited 85 Fengshan Market & Food Centre at around noon, most diners cleared their trays after eating. Only a handful of tables had used crockery left behind.
SG Clean Ambassadors were also spotted patrolling the area, reminding diners to clear their tables after eating.
At the tray return racks, cleaners worked in pairs to clear the trays in order to free up space.
Mdm Tan Suey Suey, who works as a cleaner at the hawker centre, told CNA that she had seen a big improvement in cleanliness.
“Previously, I would be very busy trying to clear the tables and there would be a lot of crockery all over the place,” she said in Mandarin.Â
“Now, it’s more manageable.”
READ:Â Change in mindsets, establishing norms needed to get diners to return their trays, say experts
READ:Â Leaving behind trays, food debris at hawker centres could expose others to diseases: Health experts
At 16 Bedok South Market & Food Centre, which has installed automated tray return systems, hawkers and cleaners also observed an uptick in customers cleaning up their tables after eating.
Ms Amy Lee, a stall assistant, estimated that up to 70 per cent of patrons now return their trays, up from around 30 per cent previously.
“You can see a difference ... People used to leave tissues on the table, along with their used crockery, and this would end up flying all over the place, but now you can see that it’s much cleaner,” she said in Mandarin.
"There are also fewer birds because there’s no food left on the table,” she added.
Mdm Pu Ai Lian, a cleaner at the hawker centre, said the new rules mean she has more time to do other work.
“We still have to clean the tables or pick up things from the floor, but it’s less tiring,” she said.
“There will be others who can’t return their trays like the elderly or those who can’t really walk, so I can help them,” she added.
