| Abstract: |
This study examined the level of awareness and actual practices of college students in solid waste management (SWM), focusing on Republic Act 9003 and SP Ordinance No. 43-2002. Findings revealed that students are generally "Fully Aware" of these laws, with an overall mean of 3.05 for RA 9003 and 3.23 for SP Ordinance No. 43-2002. The highest awareness score for RA 9003 was 3.35 for proper waste storage in schools, while the lowest was 2.72 for knowledge about the 10-Year Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan. Similarly, for the ordinance, students showed the greatest awareness of waste categorization (M = 3.40) but were less familiar with the ordinance title (M = 2.82). The combined overall awareness mean was 3.14, interpreted as "Fully Aware." In terms of SWM practices, students often segregated non-infectious from hazardous waste (M = 3.32), sorted biodegradable from non-biodegradable materials (M = 3.16), and used both closed (M = 3.08) and open containers (M = 2.94) for storage. However, participation in community-aligned waste collection was lower (M = 2.62). Traditional disposal methods like composting (M = 2.95), burning (M = 2.55), and burying (M = 2.55) were more common than sustainable practices such as recycling (M = 2.75), reusing (M = 2.16), donating (M = 2.08), and selling recyclables (M = 2.28). The overall mean for SWM practices was 2.90, classified as "Often." Correlation analysis in Table 4 showed that age had a strong positive and significant relationship with awareness (r = 0.96, p = 0.04), confirming that older students are more environmentally aware. In contrast, gender (r = 0.43, p = 0.22) and academic program (r = 0.49, p = 0.54) had no significant impact on awareness. Similarly, Table 5 revealed that age (r = 0.98, p = 0.019) and gender (r = 0.92, p < 0.00001) significantly influenced SWM practices, while academic program (r = -0.34, p = 0.20) and the overall demographic profile (r = 0.52, p = 0.073) did not. Despite moderate to high awareness levels, Table 6.1 showed no significant correlations between awareness of SP Ordinance No. 43-2002 and practices in segregation (r = -0.63, p = 0.25), disposal (r = -0.55, p = 0.34), storage (r = 0.01, p = 0.99), or overall practice (r = -0.39, p = 0.53). Likewise, Table 6.2 showed no significant association between awareness of RA 9003 and segregation (r = 0.33, p = 0.59), disposal (r = -0.46, p = 0.44), storage (r = 0.04, p = 0.95), or overall behavior (r = -0.03, p = 0.66). These findings confirm a "knowledge-action gap," where awareness does not automatically translate into environmentally responsible behavior. Limited infrastructure, unlabeled bins, and irregular collection schedules reduce students' ability to apply their environmental knowledge. To bridge this gap, the study recommends complementing legal education with experiential learning like clean-up drives and waste audits. Policies should not only inform but also create supportive environments that promote consistent and motivated waste management behavior. |