National cleanliness campaign launched with mall videos, exhibitions, islandwide relay

SINGAPORE – A video reminding shoppers to bin takeaway cups and dispose of food packaging is being screened across 16 CapitaLand malls from April 19, marking the launch of the Keep Singapore Clean 2026 campaign.

The 30-second clip, which will run until December, aims to encourage shoppers, tenants and the wider community to adopt cleaner habits during mall visits.

In addition to the video, visitors can look out for a roving exhibition with interactive stations tracing the Public Hygiene Council’s (PHC) 15-year history.

It has debuted at Geneo in Singapore Science Park and will move to Sengkang Grand Mall from June 1 to 7, Tampines Mall from June 8 to 14, and Lot One Shoppers’ Mall in Choa Chu Kang from June 15 to 21.

And to mark SG Clean Day on June 28, an upbeat jingle encouraging shoppers to keep toilets clean will be broadcast simultaneously over the public address systems across the 16 CapitaLand malls. These include Bedok Mall, Bugis Junction and Westgate in Jurong East.

The initiatives are part of a one-year agreement between PHC and CapitaLand Investment (CLI), signed on April 19 at Geneo. “As spaces that welcome thousands of visitors daily, we recognise our role in shaping positive social norms and behaviours,” said Mr Ervin Yeo, group chief strategy officer and chief executive officer for commercial management at CLI.

“Through this collaboration, we aim to encourage simple yet impactful habits, so that together, we can create a more pleasant and hygienic environment for all,” he added.

Associate Professor Christina Liew, PHC executive director, said malls are a key point of contact to reach large segments of the population, and the roving exhibition aims to help visitors “understand how much effort was put into bringing Singapore to where it is today, and how much more we need to do”.

To mark its 15th anniversary, PHC also launched the Cleanliness Champions Relay – a month-long initiative in which 20 partners, such as schools and companies, take turns as symbolic baton holders across 15 locations, organising clean-up activities around Singapore. The first leg was held at Kent Ridge Park on April 19, with subsequent activities planned in areas including Newton, Chua Chu Kang, Sengkang, West Coast Park and East Coast Park.

A survey of 411 Singapore residents conducted in March by PHC found that 74 per cent of respondents aged 30 and above felt public spaces are cleaner today than they were 15 years ago.

While many credited the Government (37 per cent) and cleaners (39 per cent), more than 99 per cent said sustained cleanliness depends on collective effort, including individual responsibility.

Respondents also highlighted ongoing concerns. The top issues cited were dirty public toilets (69.8 per cent), improperly discarded food and drink packaging (58.9 per cent), and dirty tables at foodcourts, hawker centres and coffee shops (44 per cent).

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing said Singapore’s journey to becoming one of the world’s cleanest cities was the result of deliberate, long-term effort, and did not happen by chance.

“It was the result of deliberate and strategic efforts championed by many of our founding leaders, including Mr Lee Kuan Yew,” he said to about 200 guests at Geneo.

Mr Chan, who is also Defence Minister, added that cleanliness is not just physical, but reflects “the kind of people and society we are and the aspirations we hold for the future”. Singaporeans are stewards of their shared environment, and must recognise that “the spaces we inhabit are not ours alone”, he said, noting that each generation has a duty to pass on a better Singapore to the next generation.

Keeping Singapore clean also signals that the country values what it has and is committed to preserving it for future generations.

He added that a reputation for cleanliness also shapes how the world perceives Singapore, and its ability to deliver.

“Singapore’s reputation as a clean and well-organised city has shaped how the world perceives us. Investors and visitors alike see in our cleanliness a reflection of our meticulousness and ability to deliver on our promises,” said Mr Chan.

Keeping Singapore clean is also about personal responsibility and accountability, he said, noting that “every action that we take has consequences, and that we each have a role to play in shaping the future”.

Gongshang Primary School was one of several schools that took part in a PHC initiative in 2025, engaging all its 1,400 pupils, said principal Stella Kwan.

One effort is a daily one-minute clean-up at the end of the school day, marked by a bell not for dismissal, but for pupils to tidy their own spaces.

The habit has gone beyond the classroom. “When they see litter on the floor, they pick it up. That’s what we want them to carry into the community,” she said.