Clearing your tray at food courts and coffee shops will become mandatory from 1 Jan 2022.
There’ll be an advisory period from today (1 Nov) until 31 Dec to ease the transition.
Senior Minister of State of Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor answered some queries regarding the dos and don’ts in a Facebook video.
For example, you won’t need to clean the table with tissues or wet wipes after you’re done eating.
However, you do need to clear the trays and any litter on the table, such as shells and bones, after your meal.
We summarise the questions and answers Ms Khor went through.
Besides removing your trays, diners will also need to clear any trash such as tissue, drink cans, shells and bones.
The litter should be disposed of in a dustbin or any receptacle provided.
However, you won’t need to wipe the table — cleaners will do that. They’ll sanitise the table too.
Nor will you need to clear trays and dirty crockeries left behind by previous diners. Cleaners will do that, although we encourage everyone to clear their own meals once they’re done in the name of being responsible.
As for bulky crockeries such as hotpots or mookata grills, the stalls will have dedicated helpers to handle such items. Thus, diners won’t need to clear these.
The Singapore Food Agency is working with coffee shops and food courts to install return facilities for diners to dispose of their litter and crockery.
If you find that these facilities aren’t present, you can give feedback to the coffee shop or food court operators.
Cleaners have also been instructed to focus on wiping and sanitising tables instead of clearing trays for diners.
However, if they offer to clear the trays for you, you can let them.
Cleaners will still play an important role at coffee shops and food courts, contrary to some fears Singaporeans may have.
Ms Khor has shared that demands on cleaners have increased due to Covid-19.
Clearing our trays will help reduce the cleaners’ need to go around removing them from tables.
Action also won’t be taken against the differently-abled, frail elderly or those under 12 who aren’t able to clear their tables.
However, those who are able to bring their food to the table should also be able to return them when they’re done, Ms Khor noted.
Although diners won’t be punished during the advisory period, this is the time to be more responsible.
As coffee shops and food courts are working on getting facilities for tray returns, we can now do our part to make dining out nice for everyone.
We shouldn’t use the fear of fines as a reason to clear our trays, although yes, you will be fined if you’re caught not doing so but are able to after a written warning.
This can range from $300 to more. But let’s not get to that stage and be gracious.
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Food Agency on Facebook.
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