An Assessment of
Students' Awareness
and Practices on Solid
Waste Management at
Libudon National High
School
Presented by Jomel Dave Donaire
Chapter I
INTRODUCTIO
N
This chapter introduces the study upon the relationship between
students’ awareness and practices on solid waste management at
Libudon National High School. Awareness refers to students’ knowledge
and understanding of proper waste disposal, and its impact on the
environment (Nabor & Ortega-Dela Cruz, 2021). Practices refers to
actual actions of students take in managing waste, like segregation,
reduce, reuse, recycle, and disposal (Reyes & Madrigal, 2020). The
chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem,
objectives of the study, significance of the study, scope and delimitation,
definition of terms, and conceptual framework.
Background of the
Study
Solid Waste Management (SWM) means the proper way of handling
trash, from the time it is made, collected, transported, processed, and finally
disposed of (Leblanc, 2020). The way people and even governments deal
with waste can affect the cleanliness, health, and overall safety of the
community. If waste is not managed properly, it can cause many problems
like flooding from clogged drains, spreading of diseases, air pollution from
burning garbage, and even harm to animals that accidentally eat trash. It
can also affect tourism and the economy. Since the amount of waste in the
world keeps increasing every year, it’s now a very serious issue that needs
attention from everyone (Kaza, Bhada-Tata, & Van Woerden, 2018).
Global
Across the world, studies show that the way people deal with waste
depends on what they know, their experiences, and the resources or
technology they have. A study of Awino and Apitz (2024) found that while
some countries manage waste well, most still rely on dumping and burning.
Wealthy nations use technology and policies, while poorer ones struggle with
weak systems and informal waste work. In South Africa, Komane and
Mathonsi (2023) demonstrated how a smart waste system using Internet of
Things (IoT), which refers to internet-connected devices that collect and
share data, can helped improve waste collection in communities. In Europe,
Sosunova, Porras, Makarova, and Rybin (2022) promoted student
engagement through hackathons, which increased youth awareness and
participation in waste management activities.
Asia
Around the Asia, waste management in Thailand is a major
environmental and health problem since each person produces about 1.03
kilograms of waste daily, which is above the world average. Because of this,
the government has been carrying out environmental management programs
since 2012 (Boonchieng, Intawong, Wungrath, Thongprachum, Naksen,
Settheekul, Tarnkehard, & Songsin, 2023). In Malaysia, poor waste disposal
practices also slow down proper waste management, and open dumping is
still common because it is the cheapest method (Fadhullah, Imran, Ismail,
Jaafar, & Abdullah 2022). In Pol-e-Khumri, Afghanistan, Qaderi, Muradi, and
Haqiqat (2021) reported that public awareness on solid waste management
was low, which contrasts with the higher willingness and awareness seen
among students in China.
National
In the Philippines, many studies show that students’ knowledge and
attitude about waste affect the way they handle it. Molina and Catan (2020)
noticed that students in Zamboanga knew how to dispose waste properly
but were not familiar with environmental laws. Nabor and Ortega-Dela Cruz
(2022) also found that in Laguna, pupils had low knowledge and poor
practices since their school didn’t have a strong program. Paghasian (2021)
saw that college students in MSU-Maigo knew about waste management
but were not very consistent in recycling and disposal. Additionally, Kilaton,
Aguilor, and Zamayla (2022), who found that Grade 11 students in Jasaan
South were aware of segregation, but they struggled to stay consistent,
especially with recycling and reuse, mostly because of weak discipline and
lack of monitoring.
Local
In Davao Oriental, there are only a few studies on how students
manage waste. A study by Verzosa, Katipunan, Lumangyao, and
Antonio (2024) found that people living in the coastal areas of Mati
City were somewhat aware of waste management issues, but they
did not fully understand Republic Act 9003, the law that guides
waste management in the Philippines. Similarly, Macusi, Abovales,
Abreo, and Jimenez (2019) observed that waste in Mati schools
increased during events, and both students and teachers had
trouble properly sorting waste because they lacked resources and
clear guidelines.
Synthesi
s are not the same everywhere. In some places like China and certain schools
Studies show that solid waste management is a global issue, but awareness and
practices
in the Philippines, students are more willing and aware of proper waste segregation
(Yang et al., 2021; Reyes & Madrigal, 2020; Panisa et al., 2021). However, in
Afghanistan and some Philippine schools, people still have low knowledge and weak
programs (Qaderi et al., 2021; Nabor & Ortega-Dela Cruz, 2022). Government efforts
and technology also affect waste management, as seen in Thailand, Malaysia, South
Africa, and Europe (Boonchieng et al., 2023; Fadhullah et al., 2022; Komane &
Mathonsi, 2023; Sosunova et al., 2022). In the Philippines, results are mixed since
some students practice proper waste disposal while others lack consistency and
awareness of laws (Molina & Catan, 2020; Paghasian, 2021; Kilaton et al., 2022). In
Davao Oriental, few studies show that waste problems in schools and communities
continue due to lack of awareness, resources, and clear programs (Verzosa et al.,
2024; Macusi et al., 2019).
Research
GapAlthough, plenty studies have already talked about solid waste
management in schools, but most of them focused on cities or
universities. Because of this, there is still not much research that shows
the real situation of students in rural schools like Libudon National High
School. In these schools, waste bins and facilities are often lacking,
programs are not fully followed, and students do not always get proper
guidance on how to practice what they know. Even if some students are
aware of segregation, recycling, and proper disposal, it is not always clear
if they really do these things every day in school. This leads to an
empirical gap because there is not enough actual evidence or data yet
about how rural high school students like those in Libudon National High
School truly practice solid waste management in their daily school life.
Main Purpose of the
Study
The main purpose of this research is to know if students’
awareness really affects the way they practice solid waste
management. The researcher want to see if those who know
more about proper waste management also do better and
more consistent habits. The results of this study can help the
school and teachers make better programs, give us proper
waste facilities, and guide us to apply what we learn in real life.
In the end, this research hopes to help make Libudon National
High School a cleaner and healthier place for everyone.
Statement of the
Problem
This study aims to determine the relationship between students’ awareness and
practices on solid waste management in Libudon National High School. Specifically, it
aims to answer the following questions:
1. What is the level of students’ awareness on solid waste management at Libudon
National High School?
2. What is the level of students’ practices on solid waste management in terms of:
2.1 Segregation
2.2 Reduce
2.3 Recycle
2.4 Reuse
2.5. Disposal
Objectives of the Study
This study is to assess the level of students’ awareness and practices on solid
waste management at Libudon National High School.
Specifically, this study aims to:
1. Determine the level of students’ awareness on solid waste management at
Libudon National High School.
2. Determine the level of students’ practices on solid waste management in terms
of:
2.1 Segregation
2.2 Reduce
Significance of the
Study
This study is important because it gives insight into
how students in a rural public high school understand
and practice solid waste management. Although laws
like Republic Act 9003 promote environmental programs
in schools, their success depends on how well students
apply proper waste practices in real life.
School and teachers: The results will help
school leaders and teachers see which areas
students are doing well in and where they need
more help. This can guide them in making
better programs, classroom activities, or
campaigns that focus on proper waste
management.
Students: The findings may help
students see how their actions affect the
school and the environment. It can also
encourage them to turn what they know
into real actions, like segregating waste
or reducing plastic use.
Future researchers: This study can
be used as a reference by other students
or researchers who want to do similar
studies. It adds to the limited research
done in rural schools, especially in
Davao Oriental.
Scope and Delimitation
This study will focus on the junior and senior high school students of
Libudon National High School for the school year 2025–2026. It will only cover
solid waste management and will not include teachers, parents, the community,
or other environmental issues. The respondents of this study will be selected
through stratified random sampling, ensuring representation across different
grade levels within the school. This study is a quantitative, descriptive-
correlational research design to see if there is a connection between students’
awareness and their waste management practices. This method is appropriate
because it gives clear data that can be analyzed fairly. Data will be gathered
using an adoptive survey questionnaire of the study by Paghasian (2017) from
Abolucion (2012) and Cahoy (2013). The study also hopes to give simple ideas
on how the school can improve its waste management.
Definition of Terms
Solid Waste Management - the process of handling waste from generation to
disposal in a way that protects health and the environment (Kaza et al., 2018).
Awareness - students’ knowledge and understanding of proper waste disposal
and its impact on the environment (Nabor & Ortega-Dela Cruz, 2021).
Practices - the actual actions of students take in managing waste, like
segregation, reduce, reuse, recycle, and disposal (Reyes & Madrigal, 2020).
Segregation - is the process of separating solid waste into categories like
Definition of Terms
Reduce - means minimizing the amount of waste generated by avoiding
unnecessary consumption and using resources efficiently (UNEP, 2016).
Reuse - refers to using materials or products again for the same or a new
purpose instead of throwing them away after one use (U.S. EPA, 2015).
Recycle - is the process of converting waste into reusable materials to
prevent resource depletion and reduce environmental impact (Kaza et al.,
2018).
Disposal - is the final step in waste management, involving the safe discarding
or destruction of waste, typically through landfilling or incineration (UNEP, 2016;
Conceptual Framework
This study is based on the idea that what students know about solid
waste management can affect how they handle their waste. By studying
the relationship between awareness and practices, the research aims to
see if students with higher awareness show more responsible and
sustainable waste management habits at Libudon National High School.
Dependent Variable
Independent Variiable
Students' Practices on
Students' Awareness on Solid Waste Management
Solid Waste Management • Segregation • Reuse
• Reduce • Disposal
• Recycle
References
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THANK
YOU!
