On April 26 next year, cleaners working for town councils will be given the day off in an effort to raise awareness of the amount of trash that Singaporeans throw out. Residents will have to clean their estates that day. Several Members of Parliament and residents welcomed the CleanSG Day initiative, but some believed that a one-day event is not enough to change habits.  

News of the initiative drew wide-ranging views from TODAY readers this week. Some said it was a good start and suggested that participation be compulsory for all residents. Others asked how the clean-up would be enforced and proposed that the campaign be lengthened to three days.

It is a good initiative to appreciate the cleaners and show my neighbours the mess that they create. DIANA TAN 

This is a good idea. I already have special clippers to pick up litter. GOH LOKE YAH 

It is OK. Start small and see how it goes. MOHAMMAD HATTA IBRAHIM 

Singaporeans are too dependent on cleaners. These heroes deserve more credit and respect. IZAD ROSLAN

This is a very good idea to show the people and the country what they have taken for granted. Years ago, tourists whom I met along the road said: “Wow, clean roads, and people keep the surroundings clean without littering.” I told them that this is thanks to cleaners who start work early in the morning, so that the city looks clean to visitors. I am in the tourism trade and have seen the horrors in most cities with huge rubbish bags lining the roads for collection by trucks. The roads were also covered with rubbish. It is good to give people a chance to realise that there is no “automatic setting” for cleaning up the city. It is an odd exercise if schools and students are not given a chance to participate in a mass cleaning exercise. Our leaders of tomorrow must learn the beauty of keeping the country clean. ARTORO A LEE

I met an elderly lady during a morning walk. She was picking up trash while making her way to the Residents’ Committee for volunteer work. We chatted and I found out that this has been her routine in the past few years. We can certainly take a leaf out of considerate citizens like her. They show love for the country through actions. This movement is a reminder of every individual’s responsibility, as well as empathy and appreciation for the hard work of cleaners. Even though they are paid, that does not mean we can take their work for granted, right? TAN SIEW HOON 

This is good, but it is better to nip the problem in the bud. Emulate Japan’s school practices. DOUGLAS TAN 

Better yet, extend this to private estates, too. VIV LOH 

This is the best thing ever. Make it compulsory for people from every unit to get out of their homes and clean up. Or else fine them. NICOLAS HO 

Brilliant idea. We should make it mandatory for everyone to participate, or risk being fined. Otherwise nobody would care. NONG NONG BABOOLEH

Look, people do not even clean up after themselves in their estate on a regular day. They know that the cleaners will be back the next day, so they are not going to care. I am sorry if I sound as though I have so little faith, but people do not seem to understand until they experience it. Why not give the cleaners a day off, so that the town council and people living in those areas can join hands to clean up and understand how irresponsible we are and how much better we can be if we dispose of our trash correctly? EVEPREET KAUR 

April 26, 2020 is a Sunday — family day. Do you think people will wake up to clean the area? They will wait till Monday when the cleaners are back. ERIC YONG

It is a start, but there is still a long way to go before the public puts this into practice. Perhaps, in time to come, it will become a routine. TRACY CARRINGTON 

The considerate ones will not litter and dirty the estates. The inconsiderate ones will continue to litter and not bother cleaning the estate. This is bound for failure. MARUKO CHAN 

I feel for the cleaners. Even though they get the day off, it means twice the work when they return because how is the town council going to enforce this campaign? I think it would make more sense if it is a regular Help Your Cleaners campaign. Organise regular community-cleaning activities for which residents can volunteer. CHARMAINE KOH SHI MEI 

This is a good initiative, but I do not think it will make an impact on residents. Every day, when I walk the streets, I see litter — the majority are cigarette butts and used tissue — being strewn about, mostly on overhead bridges and grass patches. I once saw hundreds of cigarette butts at the base of a tree, outside Chijmes. People conveniently litter without thinking. No matter how much the Government spends on campaigns, it is not going to make an impact. Take a leaf out of Japan where people hardly litter despite the lack of rubbish bins. CHLORIN CHEW  

For decades, residents in Housing and Development Board estates have enjoyed daily garbage collection and cleaning of the common spaces. In exchange for a small fee, they are conditioned to expect a clean environment. It is not a bad idea to stop cleaning the common spaces, say, for three days. Let them see the state of littering and indiscriminate garbage dumping. Conduct a walk around the estates for residents so that they can see what is happening, for a change. ANDREW LEONG

These comments were first posted to TODAY’s Facebook page. They have been edited for clarity, accuracy and length.