I disagree with the points made by Mr Paul Chan Poh Hoi in his letter (Fees for trays not the solution; Sept 23). Returning trays with soiled crockery is not the primary responsibility of just canteen or hawker centre operators. It is everyone’s social responsibility to keep the environment clean, including at hawker centres. By returning the trays, patrons are helping to reduce the workload of the operators so that the tables can be ready for use by other customers more quickly. Residents in places like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia return their trays as a matter of course. However, such a habit has not been cultivated in Singapore. Therefore, I agree with Mr Damian Ng Swee Beng that a better way is to charge a deposit to enforce tray return (Charge nominal fee for trays at hawker centres; Sept 19). I was and still am surprised at how Singaporeans would rely on others to return their trays, and at how littering is such a serious problem here. The Singapore Government needs to overhaul its campaign to promote social responsibility among the people.... Continue Reading