Solid Waste Management Practices and Community Engagement of Senior High School Students

Abstract

This research evaluated the students’ solid waste management practices on solid waste among the select public Senior High School Grade 11 students with 20 teachers, 80 students and 40 community members in the City of Naga, Cebu Division, DepEd Region VII, Central Visayas during the School Year of 2024-2025 as basis for Solid Waste Management Program. Survey questionnaires were used to collect the data. Most of the teachers belonged to the age of 41-50 with an average age of 40.90.  Majority of them are married, with master’s degree holders, having an entry-level positions, and having a very satisfactory performance rating. Students are predominantly female and are mostly aged 17 years.  Students come from families with 2–3 siblings, with an average family size of approximately 3 children.  Among the most notable is the item stating that garbage is placed in designated areas during the prescribed schedule the highest in the set. The results for segregation practices show statistically significant relationships across all engagement types, most notably in volunteering for waste management projects and joining environmental clubs.  Those who are engaged in consistent environmental advocacy, whether by formal membership or active project participation, appear to internalize recycling habits. For recovery and retrieval, a practice that often involves converting waste into usable items or restoring damaged resources, a similarly strong relationship exists. Among all SWM domains, proper disposal exhibits the highest Chi-square values, particularly with volunteering and joining environmental clubs. The strength of these relationships implies that those engaged in regular environmental activities are more likely to adhere to safe and environmentally sound disposal practices. The research notable findings lead to the conclusion that waste can be converted into useful resources and that monitoring destroyed items occurs the other indicators show clear limitations. Community-based environmental initiatives rely heavily on the principle that individual participation leads to collective impact. Solid waste management (SWM), as one of the core pillars of sustainable environmental behavior, cannot stand alone without the active involvement of stakeholders—including teachers, students, and the broader community.  Based on the findings and conclusions arrived in this study, it is hereby recommended that Solid Waste Management Program be adopted.