Students’ knowledge, attitude, and practices in solid waste management across university campus

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Universities generate substantial volumes of solid waste, making students key stakeholders in achieving sustainable campus waste management. Understanding students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward solid waste management is critical for designing effective, evidence-based institutional interventions. The study objectives were to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding solid waste management among university students, investigate the interconnections among these aspects, and determine the socio-demographic factors that affect waste management practices, serving as a foundation for enhancing campus solid waste management initiatives.METHODS: A research design that is both quantitative and descriptive was implemented. Data were collected from 1,148 university students using a structured and validated questionnaire measuring knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to solid waste management. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression were employed to examine the relationships between variables and identify significant predictors of waste management practices.FINDINGS: Results showed that students had moderate knowledge of solid waste management and generally engaged in proper waste management practices. Attitudes exhibited a moderate and positive relationship with practices, implying that supportive attitudes facilitate consistent waste management behaviors. In contrast, knowledge exhibited a weak positive correlation with practices and a moderate negative correlation with attitudes, suggesting that knowledge alone may not translate into effective behavior. Regression analysis identified sex, household size, father’s educational attainment, year level, and family income as significant predictors of solid waste management practices. These observations underscore the significance of attitudinal and socio-demographic elements in determining waste management behaviors. Considering the outcomes, a standard procedure was recommended to enhance institutional strategies for effective solid waste management.CONCLUSION: The results highlight attitude as a critical behavioral mediator in solid waste management and underscore the limitations of knowledge-based approaches in isolation. It is essential for universities to implement values-centered, experiential, and socially inclusive strategies that address socio-demographic differences and involve both campus and family contexts to enhance sustainable waste management practices. Standard operation instruction is recommended for efficient solid waste management.