Source: Government of Singapore
4 September 2026 – In the first half of 2026, targeted efforts by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and stakeholders have led to cleanliness improvements across key areas, including high-rise littering, refuse management, and toilet cleanliness. These gains reflect NEA’s multi-pronged approach — combining enforcement, technology, and partnerships — to keep Singapore clean.
Cleanliness improves at targeted hotspots through sustained local efforts
2. NEA identifies cleanliness hotspots through litter counts, public feedback and ground observations, and applies targeted enforcement, surveillance, and ground engagement under the Cleaner Neighbourhood initiative to address these areas. [1] These sustained efforts have yielded results – at 628 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4, there was a 54 per cent reduction in litter count from July 2025 to June 2026, and it is no longer a hotspot.
3. From January to June 2026, NEA conducted over 110 enforcement blitzes at cleanliness hotspots. In the same period, over 260 Corrective Work Orders were issued, requiring offenders to perform corrective work at these hotspots, serving as visible deterrents to others. [2] Islandwide, about 5,300 fines were issued for ground littering offences.
Strengthening partnerships with Town Councils to tackle high-rise littering
4. NEA has been strengthening its approach to tackle high-rise littering through targeted surveillance and closer partnerships with Town Councils (TCs). In October 2025, NEA introduced a six-month pilot, providing each TC with two high-rise littering surveillance camera deployments per month to monitor hotspots [3].
5. The pilot has supported more targeted surveillance at high-rise littering hotspots. At Tampines Street 45, close collaboration between NEA and the TC — including intelligence sharing, site monitoring and targeted camera deployment — led to a high-rise littering act being detected, enabling follow-up investigations. Building on these results, NEA will continue to work closely with TCs to support more targeted surveillance and intervention against high-rise littering.
6. These efforts complement NEA’s ongoing surveillance and enforcement against high-rise littering, which continues to require sustained attention. Feedback cases have averaged about 28,600 annually since 2023. In 2025, NEA conducted approximately 2,200 camera deployments and took about 500 enforcement actions for high-rise littering offences.
Strengthening accountability and support for cleaner public toilets
8. Alongside these support measures, NEA continues to hold premises owners accountable for public toilet cleanliness. In 2025, NEA conducted about 7,500 inspections of public toilets at premises such as coffeeshops, hawker centres and shopping malls, followed by about 4,000 inspections in the first half of 2026. Since late 2025, NEA has also stepped-up audits of poor-performing coffeeshops, alongside enforcement against premises owners who fail to meet required cleanliness standards. About 150 enforcement actions have been taken against coffeeshop owners in the first half of 2026 (refer to Annex A for 2025 figures).
Diners continue to play their part as average tray return rate maintains at 94 per cent
9. Beyond the efforts of premises owners, the public also plays an important role in maintaining the cleanliness of shared spaces. At hawker centres, diners have continued to do their part. The average Tray and Crockery Return Rate at hawker centres is maintained at 94 per cent, above the 65 per cent in August 2021 before the start of table littering enforcement. [4]
10. In 2025, NEA issued 814 warning letters and 11 fines for table littering. In the first half of 2026, NEA issued 52 warning letters and three fines. Some of the top performing hawker centres include Fernvale Hawker Centre & Market, Market Street Hawker Centre, and Chong Pang Market & Food Centre.
Working with stakeholders to tackle rat activity at source
12. These targeted efforts have contributed to broader improvements. NEA recorded an average of about 3,400 rat burrows per two-monthly surveillance cycle in the first half of 2026, down from about 5,400 in the same period in 2025. From January to June 2026, NEA and SFA jointly took about 490 enforcement actions against premises owners for rat-related lapses, of which about 260 were for poor refuse management.
Adopting technology to enhance cleaning operations
Working with partners and the community
15. Keeping Singapore clean requires the collective responsibility and efforts of all stakeholders and the community. NEA will continue to adopt a multi-pronged approach encompassing enforcement, innovative solutions, and stakeholder engagement – including partnerships with the Public Hygiene Council (PHC) – to uphold high standards of public hygiene and cleanliness in Singapore.
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[1] NEA deployed visible patrols, standees, surveillance cameras, and carried out ground engagements to deter littering.
[2] Under the Environmental Public Health Act, any individual who litters is liable on conviction to a court fine of up to $2,000 for a first conviction, $4,000 for a second conviction, and $10,000 for the third and subsequent convictions. The court may also impose a Corrective Work Order, requiring offenders to clean public areas for up to 12 hours.
[3] TCs can identify locations to deploy the camera based on their ground knowledge and estate-level intelligence.
[4] To promote good hygiene and social responsibility, NEA and SFA introduced enforcement against table littering at hawker centres from 1 September 2021, and at coffeeshops and food courts from 1 January 2022. First-time offenders are issued written warnings, while repeat offenders are issued fines or charged in Court.
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