Singapore – The SG Clean Day initiative, launched on Sunday (Apr 25), will pause public sweeping at open areas and on the ground levels of housing estates for a day each month by 2022 to see “how much litter there is and what it will be like if there was no one to sweep it all away”.
The Public Hygiene Council (PHC) announced the campaign on Sunday, aiming to study how much litter accumulates in Singapore and what it will be like if no one swept public areas.
All 17 town councils are taking part, said PHC in a media release.
“Residents will then be encouraged to volunteer picking up litter around their neighbourhoods, in small groups of eight,” said the agency.
PHC is also in talks with the town councils to observe SG Clean Days once every quarter in 2021 and once every month by 2022.
Several outreach efforts paused due to Covid-19 restrictions will resume, including Buddy Clean workshops that encourage students to take personal responsibility by cleaning up after themselves in public.
Other activities planned include the largest neighbourhood clean-up event on May 29 called BlockWalk, which will be held ahead of World Environment Day.
According to the PHC website, SG Clean Day encourages the public to take personal responsibility for the cleanliness of common spaces.
Organisations will declare their own SG Clean Day in May at their premises, the post noted.
“On this day, cleaners will be given a rest or reduced workload as recognition and appreciation.”
“Residents, patrons and employees of these organisations will be encouraged to be more vigilant about littering, waste generation and waste disposal. They may also take part in clean-up activities and engage their friends, neighbours and colleagues to keep the environment clean.”
Those who will be conducting small-scale litter-picking activities at estates, recreational beaches or parks are advised to have not more than eight people in a group They are also advised to keep a list of participants’ details and wear masks and gloves.
“I urge everyone in Singapore to keep our beloved public spaces, such as our neighbourhoods, hawker centres and parks, clean,” said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, who was the guest of honour during the campaign launch.
“We can do this simply by disposing of our litter properly, returning our trays after meals, flushing the toilets properly after use, and encouraging our families and friends to do the same,” she said./TISG
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