NEA steps up enforcement against high-rise littering, investigating 29,000 cases yearly

SINGAPORE - The National Environment Agency (NEA) said on May 18 that it has been stepping up enforcement efforts to better address the issue of high-rise littering.

From 2021 to 2023, NEA investigated about 29,000 instances of feedback involving high-rise littering per year.

Over the same period, the agency also deployed yearly an average of 2,500 cameras, and conducted about 1,100 enforcement actions against people caught committing high-rise littering.

Such enforcement actions entail high-rise littering offenders being taken to court – offenders prosecuted may be issued a fine and sentenced to undergo a corrective work order.

“Littering from residential flats is a serious offence as it poses a danger to the public, dirties the environment and threatens our public hygiene,” it said, adding that firmer action needs to be taken against such acts.

Pointing to a recent high-rise littering case at Block 4 Lorong Lew Lian, NEA said it began investigating when it received reports of such issues at the block. Within a week, NEA captured one such act, and served a notice to the flat owners.

To deter high-rise littering, NEA has been placing standees displaying information on ongoing surveillance or localised statistics on offenders caught at Housing Board blocks with persistent high-rise littering feedback since 2020.

Town councils display posters jointly produced with the Municipal Services Office at Housing Board blocks, highlighting the environmental and social consequences of littering.

Since July 2023

, flat owners are deemed guilty of littering from their residences if they cannot prove within a given time that they are not responsible for the offence.

The move was made to strengthen existing legislation by “placing greater onus on flat owners and tenants to prevent such acts”.

Those found guilty of littering from a residential flat face a fine of up to $2,000 for their first conviction, $4,000 for their second one, and $10,000 for third and subsequent convictions. They could also be made to undergo a corrective work order, cleaning public areas for up to 12 hours.