Redditors highlight a decline in public hygiene in Singapore
For the longest time, Singapore has taken pride in being a clean and green city. However, some locals and visitors are now observing a noticeable drop in hygiene standards, especially in public toilets and on the streets.
A thread on the r/askSingapore subreddit has recently sparked a wave of discussion from netizens who thought so.
The post, titled “Do you think Singapore has become noticeably dirtier in recent years?” and uploaded on 2 June, noted that litter appears more commonly these days.
Do you think Singapore has become noticeably dirtier in recent years?
byu/Davemel50 inaskSingapore
This is especially so in high-traffic public areas such as bus stops, sheltered walkways, and HDB void decks.
The Redditor described seeing tissue paper, drink containers, and plastic wrappers strewn around — an unusual sight for a city that was once rather clean.
Calling for action, they urged authorities to reinforce “anti-littering campaigns” and education in schools.
“No point being a cleaned city rather than a clean one by habit,” they said.
Netizens echoed similar sentiments
The post quickly gained traction, racking up over 360 upvotes at the time of writing, as many echoed similar sentiments.
“It’s indeed getting dirtier… esp [especially] toilets,” one user lamented.
Source: r/askSingapore on Reddit
Another noted how coffeeshop and hawker centre toilets have become unkempt, and claimed even mall toilets are starting to suffer the same fate.
Source: r/askSingapore on Reddit
“I don’t blame the cleaners for not wanting to wash up such dirty cubicles,” wrote one Redditor who placed the blame on inconsiderate users rather than cleaning staff.
Streets apparently filled with litter
The criticism did not stop at toilets, though. Several users pointed out that Singapore’s streets are also seeing more litter.
One Redditor remarked on the lack of civic-mindedness among the public, noting that some Town Councils have even had to put up signs warning against high-rise littering.
Source: r/askSingapore on Reddit
A tourist who claimed to have visited Singapore last week also noticed “cigarette butts everywhere” — a stark contrast to what they remembered from previous visit.
While they still found Singapore cleaner than most Southeast Asian countries, they described the change as “unexpected given Singapore’s reputation”.
Source: r/askSingapore on Reddit
Another netizen suggested a simple solution apart from public enforcement: “Clean after you use… Make the place neutral when you leave, or better than you found it.”
Source: r/askSingapore on Reddit
They also added that personal responsibility should be instilled at home and in schools.
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Featured image adapted from MS News.
