Cashless tray return systems idea ‘worth considering’: Amy Khor

SINGAPORE — Amid a spirited public debate over the use of tray-return systems at hawker centres, Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor has reiterated that the longer-term objective is for customers to return their trays “spontaneously”, negating the need for deposits.

Writing on Facebook on Thursday (Feb 1), Dr Khor also acknowledged that suggestions to integrate electronic payments with the systems was “certainly worth considering”. Her comments came after TODAY reported on Tuesday that observers and experts felt the systems — which involve customers paying deposits for their trays — seemed at odds with Singapore’s cashless drive, and could be “slightly confusing” to the average customer.

“The National Environment Agency (NEA) continues to explore and look into suggestions to refine the automated tray return systems,” said Dr Khor, who is also with the Ministry for the Environment and Water Resources..

On Monday, Dr Khor visited the Marsiling Mall Hawker Centre, which is one of two NEA-managed hawker centres where automated tray-return systems and centralised dishwashing have been recently implemented. The other centre is in Block 163, Bukit Merah Central.

The systems at the two hawker centres charge cash tray deposits of S$0.50 or S$1.

NEA had said the systems could be rolled out to as many as 25 hawker centres. But just a week earlier, Nets and EZ-Link announced that ez-link and concession cardholders will be able to electronically pay for their food and drinks at some 1,000 stalls in more than 30 hawker centres here from April.

Noting the efforts to introduce e-payment options at hawker centres, Dr Khor said that in the meantime, the deposit for tray-return systems could be included in the bill when customers use e-payment, but refunded in cash when the tray is returned. This is already being done at food and beverage firm Timbre Group’s two hawker centres in one-north and Yishun.

Nevertheless, Dr Khor said that even as the authorities explore and promote e-payment solutions, “we will need to cater to the needs of the elderly who might find it difficult to adapt to e-payment modes”.

Some members of the public have criticised the idea of making customers pay a deposit for their trays. However, Dr Khor reiterated that the automated tray-return systems and the charging of a deposit are meant to “nudge patrons to return trays with the crockery after their meals”.

At the same time, the authorities are “rallying volunteers to be tray return ambassadors”, she said. Banners and posters have also been put up, while cleaners at hawker centres are trained not to inadvertently remove trays before customers finish their food.

Dr Khor said she was heartened to see the “significant interest and discussion” on initiatives such as the tray-return systems.

Reiterating the long-term objective, she said: “The goal is that over time, patrons will return trays spontaneously — just like how we queue patiently for our favourite hawker fares, and it should no longer be necessary to charge a deposit for trays.”

Earlier, Timbre Group, which pioneered the tray return system in Singapore, told TODAY that it is looking to “slowly withdraw” the deposit once it is “confident that patrons have cultivated the habit (of returning their trays) and also see (its) social benefits”.