Clear Your Own Tray
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Oct 4, 2008 GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME! CAMPAIGN'Clear your own tray'The Straits Times spearheads move for more graciousness By Kimberly Spykerman SMALL steps can lead to a more gracious nation. The Straits Times is hoping to nudge Singaporeans in the right direction, by getting foodcourt customers to take a few extra steps, and clear their own trays after a meal.
'Clearing your own tray is a simple act. But if everyone does it, the difference it will make to the place will be huge,' said ST editor Han Fook Kwang.
'It's these little things we do which matter because they show that we care for the next person. That's what being gracious is about - looking after and being considerate to fellow Singaporeans,' said Mr Han, who conceived ST's tray-return project, called 'Goodness Gracious Me!'
The effort, starting today at five Kopitiam foodcourts, will eventually be extended islandwide, under the umbrella of the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM).
Each outlet will be festooned with colourful posters, stickers and hanging mobiles, reminding diners to return their trays.
The hope is that tray-returning will mushroom into even more considerate acts, and lead to people treating one another better.
Sociologist Paulin Straughan said that extending small acts of courtesy beyond the foodcourt would help Singapore grow to become a more gracious society.
'It becomes normal behaviour to be mindful and responsible stakeholders in the environment we live in. It's not just about trays but about protecting our shared public space,' she said.
The issue even made its way to this year's National Day Rally speech. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong described the common sight of uncleared trays at foodcourts, when he highlighted the need to improve social graces.
The well-being of Singaporeans depends not just on bread-and-butter issues but also on how people behave and relate to one another, said PM Lee.
Singapore Kindness Movement chairman Koh Poh Tiong said he was delighted at the news of The Straits Times' tray-return project.
'We need to expand our pool of like-minded Singaporeans who genuinely care about the environment and want to make Singapore a better place,' he said.
The ST initiative comes after earlier attempts to get people to return their trays failed.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) tried it five years ago at its Zion Road hawker centre, with poor results. A similar attempt was made earlier this year at the Suntec City Fountain Food Terrace by owner Chesterton International Property Consultants, again with little impact.
'It's a mindset problem,' said NEA hawkers department director Chan Wai San. 'People think they go to hawker centres to eat, not clean up.'
But leaving a clean table after eating your fill can help make the hawker centre 'more efficient', because it cuts down on waiting time for patrons, noted Ms Chan.
With 1.3 million readers, Mr Han is confident that ST is in a good position to take this message to a larger stage.
Mr Han, who frequents foodie haunt Chomp Chomp in Serangoon Gardens, said that he was galvanised into action because of the 'terrible mess' that was always left behind on the tables.
While there is currently no tray-return policy at the hawker centres here, Mr Koh said that plans are under way to establish such a system.
NEA will relaunch the Tray Return Movement @ Zion Road Hawker Centre at the end of this year, with plans to extend it to other hawker centres and fast-food restaurants, under the SKM's 'Kindness in public places' initiative.
Echoing Mr Koh's sentiments that 'civic-mindedness must become second nature for all Singaporeans', Mr Han said that it is important to understand what the act of clearing your own tray implies.
'When you see a place that is clean, with no leftover food on the table, you are more willing to play your part in keeping the environment clean. If it's a dirty place, you just accept it,' he noted.
Fixing the problem requires a drastic change in mindset.
In many office canteens, including the Singapore Press Holdings canteen at Toa Payoh North, it is standard practice to clear the table and return the trays, or face being chided by colleagues.
The secret to this, said Mr Han, was the need to build a clear sense of community. 'Or maybe it's because of peer pressure,' he quipped, with a laugh.
Kopitiam managing director Alden Tan said that the foodcourt was the ideal place to take action on 'community and social issues'.
He said of ST's cause: 'I believe it will gather strength and momentum. Social change does not happen overnight but this small step represents a huge leap for Singaporeans.'
What is your take on the above issue?
Do you clear your own tray after meal in foodcourts? Why?
If not, why?
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I usually dont.
Hahaha.
Cos there are cleaners?
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I will take a look at the cleaning staff before I decide whether or not to clear the tray. Because sometimes I see the older folks cleaning up, I wonder what they would do if they didn't have this to do.
When they do clear my table, I would try to make it easier for them to do so. Or if I see they're already overloaded, I don't mind clearing myself. I sometimes even borrow the cloth to wipe the table myself.
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Originally posted by flyingmonkey:
I will take a look at the cleaning staff before I decide whether or not to clear the tray. Because sometimes I see the older folks cleaning up, I wonder what they would do if they didn't have this to do.
When they do clear my table, I would try to make it easier for them to do so. Or if I see they're already overloaded, I don't mind clearing myself. I sometimes even borrow the cloth to wipe the table myself.
in hawker centre, i would make it easier for them to clean by stacking the same bowls or plates by their type, and then push them all to one corner of the table.
cos i worked as a waiter b4 during my schooling days... so will help help a bit. -
Not trying to be lazy, but if we do clear every single thing, then those old folks would be out of a job pretty quick?
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sometimes, those cleaners clear away the trays and plates before we even finish the dishes...
They so garang, how we clear ourselves
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last time pri sch oso got cleaners leh
but we oso clear our own utensils ma.
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Originally posted by ChoCoChips:
last time pri sch oso got cleaners leh
but we oso clear our own utensils ma.
mine dont have leh?
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I really don't think that is necessary.
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perhaps there is some kind of quota to hit for the campaign department. they ran out of ideas and came up with this.
i like the slogan though. rather apt.
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Originally posted by Pitot:
mine dont have leh?
haha wah den u all eat liao just go ah?!lol 少爷 leh
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Originally posted by ChoCoChips:
haha wah den u all eat liao just go ah?!lol 少爷 leh
i mean we got no cleaners to clean the table.
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Originally posted by soleachip:
I really don't think that is necessary.
but we the SG guys here will all automatic guai guai clear our trays while in NS... lol... -
Originally posted by Pitot:
i mean we got no cleaners to clean the table.
oh.wah then who cleans the canteen?
if someone spills his lor mee for eg
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i see where u are going, the cleaners will come in to clear that up but they wouldnt be dedicated ones.
say now u have X number of cleaners at a place, if everyone returns their trays and utensils, the workload will decrease, then there would be lesser demand than X cleaners.
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yes i won't be clearing my trays as long as there are no tray racks in sight.
also the first time i cleared my tray at mc donalds, i cleared my wallet, ic and cell phone too. by the time i realised everything was gone and gone back for the bin, it was cleared.
there is no point in clearing trays.
best to leave it to the cleaners.
senior citizens would be out of jobs if we cleared our own trays.
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Originally posted by soleachip:
also the first time i cleared my tray at mc donalds, i cleared my wallet, ic and cell phone too. by the time i realised everything was gone and gone back for the bin, it was cleared.
How did you retrieve them?
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I'd clear my own trays at fastfood restaurants and just make sure my the utensils are not all over the place in foodcourts.
How do you balance graciousness and 'empathy'... not wanting to rob the senior citizens' jobs?
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i didn't manage to retrieve them.
they just trays dude. take it easy.
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Well, if u dont wanna clear then dont make life hard for them lor.
I guess it really depends on mood.
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sch days.. we have to clear.. the cleaners wont clear for u one.. if u dun clear, canteen tables will be stacked with plates n food lor.. den lesser n lesser tables to sit at liaoz...
at hawker, i usually just stack or push away the plates and stuff.. at fast food, i will clear my own tray...
if angmohs can do y, y not us?
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We not angmoh leh. LOL.
Not everything angmoh can do, we can do.
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Originally posted by seotiblizzard:
We not angmoh leh. LOL.
Not everything angmoh can do, we can do.
if simple things lydat u also cannot do, den i dunno wad else u can do liaosorry ah.. i forgot 1 thing.. lizzards dun eat from tray one... :lol:
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We can clear the tray but if we clear the tray the boss will sack the uncles and aunties and they will have no jobs and no income and who is going to employ them then.
We should only help to clear the tray when we see some uncles and aunties who are too busy and cannot clear the trays quickly. But we must not clear the trays until the uncles and aunties have nothing to clear, we have to leave some trays for the uncles and aunties to clear so that they will not lose their jobs and income.
OK.
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i usually clear up.