A Study on the Perception of Senior High School Students

Toward the Implementation of Waste Management System

at Batangas State University – ARASOF

Statement of the Problem

The study aims to determine the perception of Senior High school students toward

the implementation of Waste Managment system at Batangas State University-ARASOF.

The research sought to answer the following questions:

1. Are you aware of the implemented policies of CLAY GO and Zero Waste

Management?

2. What can you say about the implementation of Zero Waste Management?

3. Why do you think the university implemented such strict policies regarding Waste

Management?

4. How does this kind of implementation affects you to guarantee a sustainable

lifestyle?
 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This section presents foreign related literature relevant to the study. This relevance

is shown by the proponents in order to give more reason and to understand the study.

Waste poses a threat to public and the environment if it is not stored, collected, and

disposed properly. Environmental perception is understood as the relationship human

beings have with the environment. This relationship determines the attitudes of the people

in favor of or against the environment. (Leung and Rice, 2002; Taboada-Gonzalez etal.,

2011) The perception of waste as an unwanted material with no innate values has subdued

attitude towards disposal. This study investigates the waste practices, disposal,

management, and perception about wastes in our university.

The analysis of environmental perception has been approached by means of

environmental behavior (Corraliza and Berenguer, 2000) and beliefs or values (Stern,

1992.) However, when analyzing the literature, we have found that the relationship is not

simple since there are some factors which can influence pro-environmental behavior.

Therefore, it is important to understand what factors inhibit environmental behavior (Bardi

and Schratz, 2003, De Groot and Steg, 2007; Snelgar, 2006); and environmental activism

(Dono et al., 2010; Fielding et al., 2008.)

The management of waste has become one of the key environmental concerns for

the past decades. Therefore, it became one of the most significant problems for us to deal

with and to mitigate the negative impacts on global environmental systems. This has led to

the adoption of the waste hierarchy principle that addressed waste issues using the

principles of CLAYGO (Clean as you go) and the Zero Waste Management. (Buchanan,
2005) also supported the concept that waste is solely a function of overwhelming

population increase and technological advancements. “In nature, there is no waste. In the

organic cycle, the waste from one creature or process is nourishment for the next. Today,

we not only consume or destroy nature’s resources faster than they can be regenerated, but

we give nothing back to nature. Instead, we further burden it with waste and toxic

pollution” (Buchanan, 2005, 32.)

As studied by Journal of Biodiversity of Environmental Sciences (JBES) solid

waste management is a challenge for the cities’ authorities in developing countries mainly

due to the increasing generation of waste, the lack of understanding over a diversity of

factors that affect the different stages of waste management and linkages necessary to

enable the entire handling system functioning (Guerrero et al., 2013).

Studies have shown that school students in general have poor waste management

practices all over the world and a number of papers have investigated the link between poor

waste management practice and aspects such as awareness, attitude and knowledge

(Madanay and Bugahoos, 2008; Jensen, 2002; Ehrampoush and Maghadam, 2005;

Ssenyondo et al 2008; Desa et al 2010.) In most cases these studies found direct correlations

between poor waste management ractices and a lack of environmental knowledge and

awareness. They also highlighted that a more active and focused approach is required to

put all the philosophy from environmental studies into good practice towards sustainable

development. This impact is geared towards a positive one. The capacity of these students

to influence is used appropriately so as to raise awareness and to compel the rest of the

population to do the responsible act of proper waste disposal. If word is not put to deed all
research efforts will be pointless and poor waste management will be a consistent problem

of the future human race.