SINGAPORE – Singapore has launched 'CleanHood', a new initiative that sees schools and commercial entities within neighborhoods collaborating to create cleaner estates. Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu announced the plan on April 13 at Sentosa during the launch of the annual Keep Singapore Clean 2025 campaign.

Spearheaded by the Public Hygiene Council (PHC), CleanHood builds upon the existing Sustainable Bright Spot program, aiming to cultivate a sense of community ownership by providing residents, students, and shopkeepers with resources to keep shared spaces clean and well-maintained.

In 2024, the PHC conducted approximately 2,500 cleaning activities and supported over 1,500 Keep Singapore Clean initiatives nationwide, engaging more than 76,000 participants and volunteers.

The PHC has also strengthened its collaboration with corporations through the launch of the Corporate Action Network, growing its partner organizations from 30 to 100 within a year, and signing Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with OCBC Bank and SBS Transit.

To cultivate good public hygiene habits among youth, the PHC plans to extend the CleanHood program to 15 schools by the end of 2025. There are future plans to expand the program to community businesses such as convenience stores, supermarkets, and neighborhood shops.

"For schools, CleanHood will provide a wide range of resources that educators can tap on to nurture in students a sense of ownership towards the environment. Students will be encouraged to become environmental advocates through various hands-on activities, from designing publicity materials to sharing their experiences with peers during school assembly," Minister Fu said.

At the community level, CleanHood will focus on developing community champions equipped with the knowledge and skills through workshops to spearhead local environmental initiatives.

"I am confident that this new initiative will complement the National Environment Agency's efforts to strengthen community ownership in the management of our public spaces," Ms Fu added.

"Good public hygiene is a cornerstone of Singapore's success and the foundation of our reputation as a clean city… Many public hygiene issues, such as pest infestations and refuse thrown from high-rise buildings, can negatively impact our health and quality of life," she pointed out.

"It is therefore timely that the PHC is expanding its scope to undertake public messaging and outreach on a wider range of public hygiene issues," Ms Fu said.

Chairman of the PHC, Andrew Khng, announced that the council will increase the frequency of 'SG Clean Day' to bi-monthly to reinforce good public hygiene habits and build a culture of shared responsibility.

Launched in 2021, the initiative sees the cleaning of all public parks, gardens, park connectors, open spaces, and the ground floors of housing estates suspended from 6 am to midnight on SG Clean Days. This is to raise public awareness of the amount of litter that accumulates without the intervention of cleaners.

"Through initiatives such as CleanHood, the expanded Neighbourhood Toilet Community Groups, and CleanPods placed across the island, we are empowering communities to contribute to our environmental upkeep efforts," Mr Khng added. CleanPods are storage boxes containing litter-picking tools like metal tongs and trash bags, placed in various parks and Housing & Development Board (HDB) estates.

To set new benchmarks in environmental stewardship, the 'PHC CleanHood Awards' will be introduced in 2025 to recognize partners championing the Keep Singapore Clean movement.

At the inaugural CleanHood Awards ceremony held on April 13, 13 partners were recognized. The gold award recipients were the constituencies of Bukit Batok, Bukit Panjang, Boon Lay, Jurong Central, Moulmein-Cairnhill, and Zhenghua.

Silver awards were presented to the constituencies of Kampong Glam, Marymount, Tampines West, and Toa Payoh East, while Bedok, Kembangan-Chai Chee, and Nee Soon Central received bronze awards.

"While the government will continue to invest in infrastructure and policy enhancements, alongside enforcement, real and lasting change must come from a sense of individual ownership," Ms Fu emphasized.

"With new generations joining us, a more transient population, and new visitors, it is critical that we sustain the Keep Singapore Clean campaign," she reiterated.

The Keep Singapore Clean campaign was first initiated in 1968 by founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

"Social norming is part of the work that we need to continue to do. The PHC, NGOs, and schools all have a role to play to ensure that the attitude towards hygiene and cleanliness becomes a very strong and important essential part of the Singaporean identity," Ms Fu said.

Erin Huang, President of the Singapore Polytechnic Student Union, who was among over 800 participants at 'The Great Sentosa Plog' organized by the Sentosa Development Corporation on April 13, said that about 200 students joined in to pick up litter and contribute to the national effort to keep Singapore clean.

Plogging refers to the activity of picking up litter while jogging.

"We also organize events such as 'Thrift Carnival' to encourage students to sell pre-loved items to reduce waste. We are also doing a water conservation study to assess water usage in campus toilets. And we have a 'Sustainability Gallery walk' where students showcase their findings and various sustainability initiatives across Singapore," Ms Huang added.