‘Is this the clean and green Singapore we grew up with?’: Netizen questions littering in public spaces

SINGAPORE: Singapore is known to be a clean city in the world, yet many locals are questioning whether it is because of the people living in it, or just because of the cleaners who most of the time clear the mess for them.

On Facebook, a netizen openly shared photos of several public spaces in Singapore with evident trash everywhere. She seemed disappointed with the litter that she witnessed and then questioned: “Is this how we are showcasing the way we were brought up? Is this the clean and green Singapore we once grew up preaching?” 

This post has sparked a very interesting discussion among other netizens as they share their thoughts and opinions on what was raised. One commenter admitted that for a long time now, Singapore has not been clean anymore, and the only solution of the authorities to get the city clean is to pass the concern to the cleaners. 

“We litter for the cleaners to clean up. That's the bad attitude,” another netizen remarked. 

One more netizen claimed: “Let the cleaner take a break for a few days....we see what happens...the true Singaporean attitude will show.” 

However, a netizen also declared that Singapore would not be a clean city if we only left the cleaning to the people. The help of cleaners and imposing littering fines are ways to help people keep their environment free from trash. 

“Pls don't blame the government for littering. Four fingers point to oneself when pointing to others,” a comment stated. 

“Use the shared spaces respectfully for all other users…,” a comment concluded. 

This post shows that while opinions differ among people on who’s to blame, many still agree that shared spaces are in need of shared responsibility. If people want to keep Singapore clean, it depends on whether locals and foreigners are doing the right thing, starting with helping the cleaners as they do their jobs and following all the rules and regulations with regard to littering.