One netizen wondered if an increase in food and beverage prices at hawker centres and coffee shops had anything to do with the initiative requiring diners to clear tables of dirty trays, crockery and litter after their meals.
In a post to popular Facebook group Umbrage Singapore on Sunday (May 22), a netizen who goes by the name of Edaswine Ng wrote about the price increase in hawker centres and food prices. In their post, they asked if others had noticed that food has increased by about 30 to 50 cents per plate, Otah has gone up by ten cents and that drink prices have increased by 10 to 20 cents per cup.
“I never knew we had to pay more to clean our own table”, they added.
According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), diners were required to clear tables of dirty trays, crockery and litter after their meals, starting at hawker centres from 1 June 2021. With effect from 1 September 2021, NEA took enforcement action against diners at our hawker centres who leave behind their dirty trays, crockery and litter, such as used tissues and wet wipes, straws, wrappers, canned drinks, plastic bottles and food remnants in public dining places.
Whether the initiative had any co-relation to food and drink prices is unclear, but it did have its own speed bumps along the road.
Earlier this year, a photo of an elderly man hunched over yet still clearing plates at a hawker centre made its way around the internet on Jan 3.
The photo was posted in a Facebook group titled ‘Concerned Citizens Band Together for a better Singapore’, where the netizen who shared the image asked: “Has the problem solved with law enforcing Return your own Tray”.
On Jan 1 this year, patrons of coffee shops and food courts had to remember to return their trays as the relevant rule began being enforced. After an advisory period of two months, those who get caught flouting the tray return rule can now be sanctioned.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said it issued about 140 advisories as of 3pm on Saturday (Jan 1), to remind diners at coffee shops and food courts to return their trays and dirty crockery, and clear their litter after their meals.
Hunchbacked elderly man seen clearing plates despite tray-return rule already being implemented
In March, the tray return station of yet another hawker centre was seen filled to the brim, with the excess plates, utensils, leftovers, and trash seen spilling over onto a table nearby.
In a photo shared on Facebook page Complaint Singapore on Thursday (Mar 24) at 10:52 am, the tray return station was already seen to be full despite it not even being lunch hour yet.
Not only was the non-halal tray return point full, but another trolley beside it was also filled up with plates and leftover food. Since both the tray return point and the trolley were full but uncleared, people had resorted to leaving their trays, used plates, cutlery, and trash on a table nearby as well. /TISG