PHC tackles litter problem with 'Dirty Litter Secrets' campaign

The Public Hygiene Council (PHC), Singapore’s national body leading the Keep Singapore Clean Movement has launched a new campaign titled “Dirty Litter Secrets”, in line with its aspiration for Singapore to become a ‘Zero Litter Nation’ as the country makes its way out of the Circuit Breaker period.

It aims to tackle the problem of “would be” litterers who litter when it is inconvenient to look for a bin or when they think that nobody is watching them by demonstrating that litter can attract harmful disease-carrying pests. This problem was quantified by a Public Cleanliness Satisfaction Survey published last year, which showed that 38% of respondents have littered or disposed of garbage inappropriately when they were alone.

As part of the campaign, Town Councils island-wide have been engaged to spread the message to residents that littering is a health and environmental hazard. In addition, posters touting the "Zero Litter Nation" aspiration will also be displayed in 25,000 lift lobbies of public housing blocks, as said by the press statement. Marketing understands that the campaign was conceptualised and produced by DDB Singapore.

Take a look at the campaign launch video here:

The minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said COVID-19 had forced everyone into a “new normal”, and as activities resumed, everyone had to practise good personal hygiene, adhere to safe distancing, and do their part to maintain public cleanliness by disposing food waste, used tissues, masks and unwanted items properly in bins, and not littering. He added that PHC’s “Keep Singapore Clean” movement and its efforts to steer Singapore towards becoming a Zero Litter Nation were “commendable and would help strengthen the momentum on making SG Clean a new way of life.”

Edward D’Silva, chairman of PHC said that the public could not rely on 59,000 cleaners to keep Singapore clean, and that everyone played a role in limiting the spread of diseases through good hygiene practices, as learnt from COVID-19. He further said litter was a haven for disease-carrying pests, and brought serious hazards to the public health.

“For us to become a Zero Litter Nation, we need everyone’s commitment to pick up after themselves, whether anyone is watching or not. It is our civic duty to keep our country clean”, D’Silva added.

Tony Chooi, president of the Environmental Management Association of Singapore said the workload of cleaners has increased in recent months due to the additional cleaning routines put in place to contain the spread of COIVD-19. “We fully support PHC’s Zero Litter Nation vision and its latest Dirty Litter Secrets anti-littering campaign, as it complements our efforts to keep pests and diseases at bay.”

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