International Journal of E-ISSN: 2635-3040; P-ISSN: 2659-1561
Recent Innovations in Academic Research Homepage: https://www.ijriar.com/
Open Access, Peer Reviewed, Abstracted and Indexed Journal Volume-7, Issue-6, June-2023: 58-65
Research Article
Awareness and Responsiveness Level on Proper Waste Management
at San Pedro Elementary School
Pablita L. Centeno
San Pedro Elementary School, Division of Batangas, Philippines
Email: pablita.centeno@deped.gov.ph
Received: June 05, 2023 Accepted: June 21, 2023 Published: June 28, 2023
Abstract: This study addresses proper waste management at San Pedro Elementary School in
Batangas. Reducing litter and promoting recycling are vital, as these evaluate pupils' awareness and
responsiveness. The research employs surveys and interviews to gather data from YES-O and
Supreme Pupil Government officers. It assesses pupils' awareness about recycling, waste
segregation, and disposal, along with common practices on school premises. Findings reveal
knowledge gaps in recycling, waste segregation, and disposal. Recycling practices are lacking, waste
segregation is minimal, and disposal is haphazard. Proposed actions include revisiting waste
management lessons, enforcing policies, and promoting recycling through training. The study
underscores schools as pivotal in waste management awareness. Although limited to the school, it
suggests sustainable practices. By enhancing pupils' awareness, this research contributes to a more
environmentally conscious community and suggests improved waste management strategies.
Keywords: Waste management awareness, Pupil responsiveness, Recycling practices, Waste
segregation, Environmental education.
Introduction
In a world increasingly concerned with the deterioration of our environment and the rapid depletion
of natural resources, the significance of proper waste management practices has gained
unprecedented attention. Amidst this backdrop, educational institutions emerge as influential players
in shaping responsible behaviors that align with environmental stewardship. This study immerses
itself in the realm of waste management awareness and responsiveness among the student body of
San Pedro Elementary School, located within the Division of Batangas. In an age where sustainable
living is synonymous with conscious existence, the urgency to curtail litter, foster recycling,
advocate reuse, and adopt source reduction techniques has reached a critical juncture. Achieving
these transformative goals necessitates a substantial shift in behavior, and at the core of this
paradigm shift lies the efficacy of public awareness and education initiatives.
This research endeavors to evaluate the degree to which pupils at San Pedro Elementary School are
cognizant of and receptive to these imperatives of waste management. San Pedro Elementary School
emerges as a microcosm reflecting the broader challenges of waste management. As students interact
with their immediate environment, their actions contribute, often inadvertently, to the production of
waste. This study concentrates on scrutinizing their awareness levels concerning recycling, waste
segregation, and appropriate waste disposal methods. Additionally, it seeks to grasp the prevalent
practices governing waste management within the school premises. To unravel these intricacies, the
research adopts a descriptive methodology, employing surveys and retrospective interviews to glean
insights from carefully selected student representatives of the Youth for Environment in School
Organization (YES-O) and the Supreme Pupil Government. By gauging their understanding,
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behaviors, and attitudes toward waste management, this study aims to pinpoint strengths and
pinpoint areas necessitating intervention. The ramifications of the study's findings extend beyond the
school's boundaries. These insights possess the potential to guide waste management strategies not
only within the educational sphere but also in the broader community. By comprehending the pupils'
levels of awareness and responsiveness, this research aspires to contribute to a more enlightened and
sustainable approach to waste management.
Proper waste management have the task of reducing litter and promoting recycling, reuse, and source
reduction activities. Each one of these activities requires some behavioral change on the part of the
public. The vital means for attaining this change is public awareness education. In many cases, solid
waste management do not have to “reinvent the wheel.” There is an abundance of educational
material available. The internet has educational and informational material, most of which can be
accessed free of charge. A far larger problem is getting the material into the hands of the public and
then getting the public involved in solving solid waste management problems.
Public education and involvement in solid waste management does not have to be extremely costly.
However, SWAs need to make a commitment of time and resources for these purposes. The school
plays an important role in disseminating information with regards to proper disposal of garbage. It is
the best outlet to promote awareness on proper waste management. Pupils need to be conscious of
becoming aware on how to sustain the importance of waste management. They need also to be
sensible on common practices in implementing proper disposal and segregation of waste.
Thus, it is an imperative quest to assess the awareness and responsiveness of pupils toward proper
waste management. Its purpose encompasses generating tangible outputs in the form of diverse
activities and strategies to effectively tackle the substantial waste generated within the school
grounds. By focusing on recycling, waste segregation, and waste disposal, this research aims to
gauge pupils' comprehension and engagement with these vital waste management components.
Additionally, the study seeks to uncover prevailing waste management practices at San Pedro
Elementary School, providing insights into the current scenario. It's important to acknowledge that
this research's scope is delimited by the confines of the school premises, precluding an exploration of
waste management practices beyond this realm. In sum, this study's rationale stems from the urgency
of fostering waste management awareness among pupils and the subsequent need to refine their
responsiveness through targeted interventions.
Literature Review
Education and awareness campaigns play a great part in implementing the proper waste management.
Not all people after all are aware that the one piece of waste material they are sending to landfills or
incinerators constitutes a greater threat to the environment. Presently, calls to recycle and waste
reduction are widely active. And various projects and campaigns are launched every day, adding more
noise to the earlier advocacies on proper waste management.
Quantifying the GHG-reduction benefits of waste minimization, recycling and re-use requires the
application of LCA tools (Smith et al., 2001). Recycling reduces GHG emissions through lower
energy demand for production (avoided fossil fuel) and by substitution of recycled feedstocks for
virgin materials. Efficient use of materials also reduces waste. Material efficiency can be
defined as a reduction in primary materials for a particular purpose, such as packaging or
construction, with no negative impact on existing human activities. At several stages in the life cycle
of a product, material efficiency can be increased by more efficient design, material substitution,
product recycling, material recycling and quality cascading (use of recycled material for a secondary
product with lower quality demands). Both material recycling and quality cascading occur in many
countries at large scale for metals recovery (steel, aluminium) and recycling of paper, plastics and
wood. All these measures lead to indirect energy savings, reductions in GHG emissions, and
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avoidance of GHG generation. This is especially true for products resulting from energy-intensive
production processes such as metals, glass, plastic and paper (Tuhkanen et al., 2001).
Widely implemented policies include Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), unit pricing (or
PAYT/Pay As You Throw) and landfill taxes. Waste reduction can also be promoted by recycling
programmes, waste minimization and other measures (Miranda et al., 1994; Fullerton and Kinnaman,
1996). The EPR regulations extend producer responsibility to the postconsumer period, thus
providing a strong incentive to redesign products using fewer materials as well as those with
increased recycling potential (OECD, 2001). Initially, EPR programmes were reported to be
expensive (Hanisch, 2000), but the EPR concept is very broad: a number of successful schemes have
been implemented in various countries for diverse waste fractions such as packaging waste, old
vehicles and electronic equipment. EPR programmes range in complexity and cost, but waste
reductions have been reported in many countries and regions. In Germany, the 1994 Closed
Substance Cycle and Waste Management Act, other laws and voluntary agreements have
restructured waste management over the past 15 years (Giegrich and Vogt, 2005).
In general, existing studies on the mitigation potential for recycling yield variable results because of
the differing assumptions and methodologies applied; however, recent studies (i.e., Myllymaa et al.,
2005) are beginning to quantitatively examine the environmental benefits of alternative waste
strategies, including recycling.
Waste management has become a complex area, legally, technically and commercially. Very few
organizations can still rely on the waste collection services provided through local authorities as a
complete answer to their waste management obligations. Thus many firms need to identify and
contract one or more reputable, licensed, specialist companies for the disposal of their waste, or
discharging their legal obligations. A key development in waste management is the focus on
preventing the production of waste through waste minimization and the re-use of waste materials
through recycling. This links directly to procurement issues, where careful selection of materials,
suppliers, process redesign for disassembly and reverse logistics can all reduce the amount of wastes
produced or facilitate recycling and re-use. A common misconception is that environmental
protection and sustainable initiatives must come at the expense of economic development (El-Haggar,
2007). This is particularly true for managing wastes, a process which depletes natural resources
and pollutes the environment if not done correctly. Proper waste management can be costly in terms
of time and resources and so it is important to understand what options exist for managing waste in an
effective, safe and sustainable manner (El-Haggar, 2007). This is particularly true for organizations
which fall into the institutional, commercial and industrial (ICI) sector.
Waste management methods cannot be uniform across regions and sectors because individual waste
management methods cannot deal with all potential waste materials in a sustainable manner
(Staniškis, 2005). Conditions vary; therefore, procedures must also vary accordingly to ensure that
these conditions can be successfully met. Waste management systems must remain flexible in light of
changing economic, environmental and social conditions (McDougall et al., 2001; Scharfe, 2010). In
most cases, waste management is carried out by a number of processes, many of which are closely
interrelated; therefore, it is logical to design holistic waste management systems, rather than
alternative and competing options.
Research Questions
The researcher aimed to determine the level of awareness and responsiveness of pupils on proper
waste management.
Specifically, it sought answers to the following questions:
1. What is the awareness level of pupils on proper waste management in terms of:
a) recycling,
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b) waste segregation and
c) waste disposal?
2. What are the common practices in waste management in terms of:
a) recycling,
b) waste segregation and
c) waste disposal?
3. What are the proposed actions towards proper waste management?
Innovations and Strategies
This study’s’ innovation is an initiative on proper waste management in school. This focuses on
implementing strict practices on proper disposal and management.
Method
a) This is a descriptive type of research which aims to determine the level of awareness and
responsiveness of pupils on waste management. The respondents of this study are twenty selected
officers from Youth for Environment in School Organization (YES-O) and Supreme Pupil
Government.
b) The researcher used data gathering procedures which includes survey method and retrospective
interview. The following date gathering tools namely; checklist and interview guide were used to
attain the objectives of this study.
c) A survey questionnaire was prepared, validated, distributed, tallied and interpreted to determine
the level of awareness and responsiveness of pupils on proper waste management. A
retrospective interview follows after accomplishing the survey questionnaire in order to validate
and confirm the responses given by the pupils.
d) The researcher utilized frequency, percentage and weighted mean in analyzing the data.
Results and Discussion
This part of the study presents the responses to the research objectives heaved in the research.
Awareness Level of Pupils on Proper Waste Management
Table 1. Pupils’ Awareness level on proper waste management
Awareness level F %
A. Recycling
1. I Know the importance of recycling. 9 45%
2. I know how to recycle. 5 25%
3. I know what and when to recycle things. 3 15%
4. I know that garbage can be recycled. 18 90%
5. I know how recycling is helpful to the environment. 15 75%
B. Waste Segregation
1. I know what is biodegradable materials. 8 40%
2. I know how to identify biodegradable from non-biodegradable. 8 40%
3. I know that non-biodegradable cannot be decomposed in just a year. 3 15%
4. I know the importance of proper waste segregation. 16 80%
5. I practice waste segregation. 3 15%
C. Waste Disposal
1. I know where to disposed waste. 10 50%
2. I throw my waste anywhere in the school. 1 5%
3. I make sure to read the labels in the trash can before I throw my 5 25%
waste.
4. I know the importance of proper waste disposal. 3 15%
5. I know the importance of having a compost pit. 4 20%
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Table 1 shows the level of awareness on proper waste management in terms of recycling, waste
segregation and waste disposal. It shows that the respondents with a percentage of 15%, in terms of
recycling, they don’t know what and when to recycle but they know that garbage can be recycled with a
percentage of 90%. With regards to waste segregation, only 15% of the respondents know that non-
biodegradable cannot be decomposed in just a year.
On the other hand, it seems that 80% of them know the importance of proper waste segregation.
When it comes to waste disposal, it merely shows that the respondents throw their waste anywhere in
the school with a percentage of 5% however 50% of them know where to disposed waste.
Results shows that in terms of recycling, the respondents are aware that the garbage can be recycled
but they are lack of knowledge of what and when to recycle materials. It also shows that the
importance of waste segregation is known by the respondents but cannot distinguish that
biodegradable will not be decomposed in just a year. When it comes to waste disposal, the
respondents know where to disposed waste but throw their garbage anywhere in the school. Data
shows that there is a need to design an action for the awareness responsiveness of the pupils on
proper waste management.
Common practices on waste management
Table 2. Practices on Proper Waste Management
Practices WM Interpretation
1. Recycling
a. Make use of scratch paper as solution paper. 3.3 Sometimes
b. Make pencil holder from an empty bottle. 1.35 Never
c. Used old newspaper in making projects. 3.95 Very Often
2. Waste Segregation
a. A model of segregating waste in our room. 1.95 Rarely
b. Make sure that biodegradable and non-
biodegradable are properly separated. 2.8 Sometimes
c. Participation in the segregation process of
waste after class. 2.85 Sometimes
3. Waste Disposal
a. Collect waste from each classroom every after 3.5 Sometimes
class.
b. Throw waste in proper container. 3.9 Very Often
c. Put plastics in our school compost pit 3.9 Very Often
Data shows that most of the respondents are not practicing recycling process. It also shows that waste
segregation is not evident in the school and there is a need for improvement when it comes to waste
disposal.
Proposed actions towards proper waste management
It is found out that most of the pupils need lessons that will refresh their knowledge about proper
waste management. Also the school should have strict implementation of policies, plans, and
programs. Teach the pupils of proper disposal techniques through recycling and segregation.
Plans for Dissemination and Utilization
The researcher came up with the plans of conducting lectures to attain the awareness and
responsiveness on proper waste management and also provide training on how to turn all the
recyclable waste into a productive one.
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Table 3. Action Research Work Plan and Timeline
Activity Duration
From To
Gathering literature April 4, 2016 April 8, 2016
Formulating objectives April 11, 2016 April 22, 2016
Analyzing and drafting literature April 27, 2017 May 10, 2016
Drafting the introduction May 16, 2016 May 30, 2016
Identifying the research design and July 4, 2016 July 15, 2016
methodology
Drafting and peer validation of July 18, 2016 July 29, 2016
questionnaire
Distribution and retrieval of questionnaire Aug. 8, 2016 Aug. 20, 2016
Tallying and interpretation of responses Sept. 1, 2016 Sept. 16, 2016
Drafting results and discussion Sept. 26, 2016 October 2, 2016
Drawing conclusions and writing the October 3, 2016 October 10, 2016
recommendation
Finalizing the introduction, review of May 2, 2016 May 13, 2016
related literature, results and discussion,
bibliography
Drafting the research blueprint April 18, 2016 April 29, 2016
Encoding and polishing the entire paper May 2, 2016 October 14, 2016
and peer validation of the problem solving
blueprint.
Submission of the action research to the October 15, 2016 October 26, 2016
division office and presentation to peers
Table 4. Target Dates
Target Dates
End of Project First Draft Final Report
October 14, 2016 July 15, 2016 October 26, 2016
Table 5. Cost Estimates
Item Cost
Photo Copy of Questionnaires Php 120.00
Snacks for Respondents Php 1,000.00
Total Php 1120.00
Conclusion
In the face of mounting global concerns over environmental degradation and the exhaustion of
natural resources, the significance of proper waste management practices has become increasingly
evident. Educational institutions emerge as key influencers in molding ecologically aware behaviors
and fostering a culture of accountable waste management. This study delved into the realm of waste
management awareness and responsiveness among San Pedro Elementary School pupils in Batangas
Division.
Findings from the research unveiled a spectrum of awareness and responsiveness levels among
pupils concerning proper waste management. While a majority of participants recognized the value
of recycling and possessed a rudimentary understanding of waste disposal, notable knowledge gaps
emerged, particularly in the realm of waste segregation practices. It became evident that recycling
was not being extensively practiced, waste segregation was suboptimal, and unplanned waste
disposal was prevalent within the school premises. To mitigate these challenges, the study outlines a
series of strategic measures aimed at elevating waste management awareness and responsiveness.
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These include reevaluating waste management curricula, instituting stringent guidelines for waste
segregation and disposal, and actively promoting recycling and appropriate waste disposal methods
through targeted training sessions and workshops. Although the study's scope was confined to the
school's boundaries, its ramifications extend well beyond.
Social and Practical Implications
By cultivating waste management awareness and responsiveness among pupils, the research
contributes to the creation of a community that is increasingly environmentally conscious.
Furthermore, the insights garnered offer a solid foundation for refining waste management strategies
within the educational framework and the wider community. In a world where sustainable living is
no longer optional, but imperative, effective waste management remains a paramount pursuit.
Through education, heightened awareness, and proactive initiatives, students can evolve into agents
of positive transformation, advocating for conscientious waste management practices that reverberate
far beyond the school premises. As global environmental issues persist, this study underscores the
pivotal role of education in nurturing upcoming generations to be custodians of a more wholesome
and sustainable planet.
Declarations
Acknowledgments: Not applicable.
Conflict of interest: None declared.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Author Contribution: The author fully contributed.
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Citation: Pablita L. Centeno. 2023. Awareness and Responsiveness Level on Proper Waste
Management at San Pedro Elementary School. International Journal of Recent Innovations in
Academic Research, 7(6): 58-65.
Copyright: ©2023 Pablita L. Centeno. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of
the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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