Mindsets shift and establishment of standards are needed to get diners to return their trays

Beyond initiatives to nudge diners into returning their trays, an overall change in people’s mindset is needed for such plans to work, said observers.

It was announced on Friday (Apr 16) that coffee shops and food courts will get funding to install tray return facilities.

Under the Clean Tables Support Scheme (CTSS), authorities will defray 50 percent of the cost they incur for facilities such as racks and trolleys, capped at S$2,500 per premises.

The scheme also covers the purchase of trays, which are meant to make it more convenient for diners to return their crockery.

Sociologist Paulin Tay Straughan from the Singapore Management University said that the infrastructure may not be enough.

“Bad behavior has entrenched. It’s not going to work that easily just because you have trays available, returning stations available,” said Professor Straughan, who conducts an annual survey on people’s satisfaction with public cleanliness.

“When things have gone wrong, the only way to get it back right is to have policing of norms and expectations,” she added.