Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment endorses Public Toilets Taskforce recommendations

04 March 2025 – The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) endorses the Public Toilets Taskforce’s 10 recommendations to bring about cleaner public toilets in Singapore.

Collective effort in support of the Year of Public Hygiene

2. MSE designated 2024 as the Year of Public Hygiene to reinforce good hygiene practices for our collective well-being. With this objective in mind, MSE convened a Public Toilets Taskforce to study and recommend solutions to improve the cleanliness of public toilets. The focus was on public toilets that consistently fare poorly in cleanliness surveys, such as those at coffeeshops and hawker centres. These places provide an important amenity in the community, often making their facilities available to the members of public who do not patronise their establishments which is particularly important for seniors in the community. They have high footfall and yet often face limited manpower in cleaning and maintaining the toilets.

3. The Taskforce was co-chaired by Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Mr Baey Yam Keng, and the Chairman of the Public Hygiene Council (PHC), Mr Andrew Khng. The Taskforce comprised stakeholder representatives from town councils, trade associations, non-governmental organisations, academia, professionals, premises managers, industry associations and public sector agencies, to benefit from insights and experiences from across the People, Private and Public (3P) sectors. 

MSE endorses Taskforce recommendations

4. The Taskforce has completed its work and submitted 10 recommendations, organised around four pillars, namely (1) Design and Infrastructure, (2) Cleaning and Maintenance with Adoption of Technology, (3) Monitoring by All Stakeholders, Audit and Enforcement, and (4) Engagement and Outreach (see Annex). MSE endorses all 10 recommendations and the National Environment Agency (NEA) will provide grants to support coffeeshop operators to implement good toilet designs and initiate the practice of regular deep cleaning, so that the public can enjoy better and cleaner toilets.

5. The Taskforce has developed a list of recommended public toilet design features that aims to facilitate toilet cleanliness. The list takes into consideration challenges faced by premises owners such as space constraints, incorporates advice from the renovation and interior design industry, and includes feedback from coffeeshop stallholders. The list will be disseminated to premises owners and industry players to encourage wide adoption. 

6. In line with the Taskforce’s recommendations, the Restroom Association (Singapore) (RAS) will develop a new Happy Toilet Programme (HTP) standard for coffeeshops to serve as a benchmark for well-designed and clean coffeeshop toilets. Toilets that demonstrate excellence in design and cleanliness will be able to apply for HTP certification. 

7. NEA will provide a $5 million Coffeeshop Toilet Renovation Grant to encourage coffeeshop operators to undertake toilet renovations and achieve HTP certification. Coffeeshop operators can apply to NEA for funding of up to 95 per cent of their toilet renovation costs, capped at $50,000 per coffeeshop.

8. Cleaning of toilets and maintenance of facilities are crucial in supporting access to cleaner public toilets. MSE agrees with the Taskforce on the importance of training, technology, and regular deep cleaning. To encourage coffeeshop operators to incorporate deep cleaning into their overall toilet cleaning regime, NEA will provide a $5 million Coffeeshop Toilet Deep Cleaning Grant. Coffeeshop operators can apply to NEA for funding of up to 95 per cent of their two-year deep cleaning contract cost, capped at $25,000 per coffeeshop. Successful grant applicants will also receive complimentary on-site toilet cleaning training at their coffeeshops for in-house cleaners. 

9. NEA will provide more details of the two grants later this year.

10. Recognising the critical role of community engagement and outreach in inculcating a sense of collective responsibility and ownership in public toilet cleanliness, the Public Hygiene Council (PHC) will expand its Neighbourhood Toilets Community Group (NTCG)¹ programme to drive positive toilet hygiene practices among users, and premises owners and operators. 

About 1,300 enforcement actions for public toilet offences 

11. Legislation and enforcement remain critical to set minimum standards and requirements for public toilet cleanliness. Government agencies will continue to enforce against errant operators that fall short of these requirements. In 2024, NEA and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) stepped up inspections on public toilet cleanliness and took about 1,300 enforcement actions against premises owners/managers.

12. MSE thanks the members of the Taskforce for their work in developing its report and recommendations. Members of the Taskforce have submitted pledges to commit to achieving and maintaining cleaner public toilets. Members of the public can also submit their pledge at https://go.gov.sg/pttf-pledge ↗ (opens in new tab). The full report can be viewed at www.go.gov.sg/pttf-report ↗ (opens in new tab). 

¹The NTCG is an initiative by PHC that aims to drive collective responsibility and ownership between coffeeshop operators and the local community to improve public toilet cleanliness. Under the NTCG partnership, operators will step up their cleaning regime to provide clean toilet facilities for users, while volunteers will help to monitor cleanliness of the toilets as well as report to the operators whether toilet amenities are in working condition. Volunteers will also engage users to remind them to keep the toilets clean.