Coffee shop operators will be able to apply to the National Environment Agency for the Coffee Shop Toilet Renovation Grant and Coffee Shop Toilet Deep Cleaning Grant, each with a budget of S$5 million, according to The Straits Times.
The renovation grant is designed to assist operators in upgrading toilet design, features, and maintenance. It will cover up to 95% of renovation costs, with a cap of S$50,000 per shop.
The other grant aims to help operators implement thorough cleaning as part of regular upkeep. It will subsidize up to 95% of the cost for a two-year deep cleaning contract, capped at S$25,000 per shop, CNA reported.
Successful applicants will also receive free on-site toilet cleaning training for their in-house cleaners, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment said on Tuesday. Further details on the grants will be announced later this year.
Baey Yam Keng, the ministry’s Senior Parliamentary Secretary, noted that while coffee shops are privately owned businesses, they serve as “natural gathering points” for residents.
By keeping their toilets accessible to both patrons and the wider community, they help reduce the need for the government to build additional public restrooms, he said.
Baey added that authorities will continue taking action against non-compliant operators, including suspensions when necessary.
The Singapore Food Agency and NEA conducted nearly 19,000 inspections on public toilet cleanliness last year, resulting in around 1,300 enforcement actions against establishments’ owners and managers.
“Over time, we hope that these measures can break the cycle of dirty coffee shop toilets, so that we all can enjoy better and cleaner toilets,” Baey said.
The grants were announced after a recent study of 2,600 public toilets in the city-state by Singapore Management University found that coffee shop toilets remain the dirtiest and have seen little improvement in cleanliness over the past decade.
Released last month, the study revealed that many shops lacked updated cleaning schedules and only taps, sinks, and soap received reasonable ratings. It also raised concerns about the proximity of some coffee shop restrooms to food preparation areas.
Rosie Ching, SMU’s Principal Lecturer of Statistics, who led the study, said that while many respondents blame irresponsible users for dirty coffee shop toilets, it is ultimately the operators’ responsibility to maintain cleanliness.
“Every citizen deserves access to a clean and dignified public toilet,” she said.
