Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Solid waste disposal has always been a rising concern everywhere

around the world. In 2012, the world’s cities have generated a billion tons of

solid waste per year, which means that a kilogram of solid waste is being

produced per person per day. And with the rapid growth of population and

urbanization, waste generation is expected to rise to a couple billion tons in the

years to come. Solid waste management (SWM) has always been a rising

concern in line with the rapid growth of population. A fast growing population

means a fast growing problem on proper solid waste disposal. Solid waste

management is not just a corporate social responsibility or a non-priority

service anymore. Improper waste management is a public health and

environmental crisis, economic loss, operational inefficiency and political and

public awareness failure. Regardless of the origin, content or hazard potential,

solid waste must be managed systematically to ensure environmental best

practices. And that as a critical aspect of environmental hygiene, it needs to be

incorporated into environmental planning. The authorities now have an

opportunity to adjust the solid waste system before population and the

mountain of waste gets out of control. Encouraging people to make waste

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handling into a business is also essential, since it can reduce the amount of

waste and generate incomes at the same time.

Presently, a new trend in waste management towards replacing

traditional Solid Waste Management (e.g. landfill) with sustainable Solid Waste

Management practices (e.g. recycling or compost) and the use of waste as a

resource is growing. The cradle-to-cradle concept of solid waste management

is based on diverting waste from disposal, which helps conserve landfill space

and preserve natural resources. Solid waste management aims to prevent

waste generation in the first place. The residents or the community are made

responsible for the entire lifecycle of waste materials, which encourages

sustainable practices at every stage, from waste material segregation to

recycling and other forms of end on waste management. Making residents or

the community responsible encourages innovation and increases eco

efficiency over time.

In relation with Solid Waste Management, Trondillo et., al. (2018) stated

that the Philippines on the other hand have increased waste generation

matching its dramatic growth of population, urbanization and enhanced living

standards regardless of the country’s law on waste management. Improper

waste disposal has been a major contributing factor to environment

degradation. Thus, an effective waste management system must be

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introduced. As emphasized in the 1987 Philippines Constitution, Article II,

Section 16, the state shall protect and advance the right of the people to a

balance and healthful ecology in accordance with the rhythm and harmony of

nature. The Ecological Solid Waste Management in the Philippines also

referred to as Republic Act 9003 is one of the national programs mandated to

address the issue on solid waste management. It provides directives to the

local government units (LGUs) for the creation of their respective Solid Waste

Management Boards, formulation of a ten-year Solid Waste Management

Plans, construction of material recovery facilities (MRFs) and construction of

final disposal facilities. The primary goal of solid waste management is

reducing and eliminating adverse impacts of waste materials on human health

and environment to support economic development and superior quality of life.

According to Minghua et al., (2009), household waste generation is

increasing significantly all over the world and has greater impact on

environment. Increasing population, rapid urbanization, growing economies

and improved living standard lead to the gradual increase in the volume of

household waste. The rapidly growing cities of the developing countries are

major contributor to generate it. Furthermore Basiru et., al. (2017) added that,

the households level of awareness and perception of environmental effects as

well as their participation on waste collection services were the factors that
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most influenced the households’ attitude towards environmental improvement.

Both the drivers of attitudes and perceived behavioral control can be used by

policy-makers to direct households’ intentions and behaviors toward

sustainable solid waste management practices.

Moreover, Annepu (2018) stated that, some countries have achieved

considerable success in solid waste management. But the rest of the world is

grappling to deal with its wastes. In these places, improper management of

solid waste continues to impact public health of entire communities and cities;

pollute local water, air and land resources; contribute to climate change and

ocean plastic pollution; hinder climate change adaptation; and accelerate

depletion of forests and mines. Integrated solid waste management can be a

nation building exercise for healthier and wealthier communities. Therefore, it

needs global attention to arrive at solutions which span across such a wide

range of issues.

The main purpose of this study is to determine the residents’ level of

awareness and attitude towards recycling as part of the program on Solid

Waste Management in Rebe, Lala, Lanao del Norte. Significantly, the study

aims to identify the state of Solid Waste Management in the area, as

implemented by the law on Ecological Solid Waste Management as well as the

resident’s level of awareness on proper waste disposal, specifically towards

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recycling and their attitudes towards the introduced method of waste

management, that is, to recycle. Furthermore, the study will also aim to

introduce what Solid Waste Management is and its benefits to the community

and the environment, as well as to appreciate the importance of implementing

the program not just by conducting seminars but also through implementing

sustainable practices inside and outside the household, led by local policy-

makers.

The study will be conducted during the second semester of the year

2018-2019 in Rebe, Lala, Lanao del Norte during weekends or any day that

the chosen respondents are free and willing to participate in the study. Since

waste disposal is a problem widely faced globally but fails to receive the

accurate long lasting solution, the researchers finely believe that it is their part

as a member of the society to introduce the problem that is already present to

their local community to make them realize the seriousness of the presented

environmental issues and give solutions that are achievable and doable both

inside and outside the household. As stated above the result of the study will

determine the state of Solid Waste Management in the community. Regardless

of what the outcome of the study will, educating the community about the

problem is a purpose to conduct the study in the first place, in coordination with

the area’s local government unit (LGU).

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Theoretical Framework

This study will anchor these theories: Environmentally Responsible

Behavior Theory by Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera (1990), The Theory of

Planned Behavior by Ajzen and Fisbein (1980), and Waste Management

Theory by Pongracz, Philips, and Keiski (2004).

The Theory of Environmentally Responsible Behavior (ERB) is a specific

term describing “any action, individual or group, directed toward remediation

of environmental issues/problems" (Sivek & Hungerford, 1990). ERB theory is

characterized by a combination of self interest and concern for other people,

species, or ecosystems (Bamberg & Moser, 2007). It includes both general

actions (i.e., talking with others about environmental issues; encouraging

family and friends to behave in environmentally responsible ways) and specific

actions (recycling; purchasing environmentally friendly & sustainable goods;

conservation of energy by turning off lights and using alternate sources of

energy, such as solar, hydro, or wind energy; and reduction in fossil fuel

dependence by utilizing alternative means of transportation) (Kobrin, 2007).

Furthermore, encouraging ERB is the fundamental goal of the discipline

of environmental education (Hines, Hungerford, & Tomera, 1986); as such, this

research focuses on the precursors of environmentally responsible behaviors

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in order to successfully cultivate desired behaviors through environmental

education programming. As Hines, Hungerford, & Tomera (1986) stated,

influencing the values, attitudes, and behaviors of individuals in positive ways,

environmental education ultimately seeks to minimize negative environmental

impacts. In fact, according to Matre (1990) “Environmental education that just

educates people about the environment without asking them to make changes

in their own lives is not environmental education – it’s natural science”.

Generally speaking, however, the effectiveness of environmental education in

influencing behavior is of some debate, and depends on a number of variables,

including the setting, duration, affective components, and practical

implications.

Overall, the researchers suggest that longer programs may tend to

influence behavior more strongly than short programs, and that practical field

based programs have a more positive effect than similar classroom

components (Bogner, 1998; Daniels and Marion 2005; Metzger & McEwen,

1999; Zelezny, 1999, Zint, Kraemer, Northway, & Lim 2002.) Finally, Hines,

Hungerford, & Tomera (1986) proposed a model of ERB that addresses both

cognitive and affective variables. The key components of the Hines model

includes general knowledge of environmental issues, knowledge in action

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strategies, skill in action strategies, attitudes, locus of control, and intention to

act.

In addition to the theories stated above, another theory that helps in

accomplishing this research study is the Planned Behavior Theory that grew

out of the Theory of Reasoned Action, it suggests that human behavior is

influenced by three belief constructs: beliefs about consequences;

expectations of others and things that may support or prevent behavior. A

strong premise of the theory is that, at the conceptual level, links among

influences on behavior and their effects are captured through one of the

components of the model or relationships in the model.(Akintunde, 2017)

TPB provides a useful model for exploring the factors influencing

householders recycling decisions. A great number of studies have been done

on the applicability of the TPB in explaining student recycling behavior; and

found that the intention to recycle had an impact on attitudes and norms of

student recycling behavior (Goldenhar and Connell, 1993); the linkages

between values, attitudes and recycling behavior were investigated by McCarty

and Shrum in 1994 in a study of North American undergraduate students; Rise

et al. (2003) examined the influence of implementation intentions on the actual

behavior regarding recycling drinking cartons. A significant relationship

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between attitudes towards recycling and self-reported recycling was found by

Kelly et al. (2006).

The application of this model to this study is that, the model provides

further explanations into the connection between knowledge, attitude,

behavioral intention and actual behavior as they influence waste management

practices. Knowledge is not a specific component in the model but “attitudes

are a function of beliefs”; since in this context, beliefs refer to knowledge about

a specific behavior, which is recycling.

Moreover, the Theory of Waste Management represents a more in-depth

account of the domain and contains conceptual analyses of waste, the activity

upon waste, and a holistic view of the goals of waste management. Waste

Management Theory is founded on the expectation that waste management

is to prevent waste causing harm to human health and the environment. The

proper definition of waste is crucial to constructing a sustainable agenda of

waste management. It is largely the case that current legislation attends to

existing waste. Definitions emerging from this condition may, however, conflict

with the goals of waste prevention, because something that already exists

cannot be prevented from arising. When material is assigned the label of

‘waste’, it will be treated as such; consequently, despite its explicit wish of

waste prevention, implicitly, legislation essentially accumulates waste. The

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inherent philosophical implication of such definitions is that they are not able

to facilitate a sustainable waste management system. Therefore, new,

dynamic definitions for waste and waste management must be sought, which

can explain why waste is created and can offer an intrinsic solution for the

problem. A radically new approach, based on an object-oriented modelling

language, is presented to define the key concepts of waste management.

Likewise, as with any new theory, Pongracz’ et., al. (2004) Waste

Management Theory is planned within restrictive limits, where the choice of

options is generally pre-specified. It is expected that the insight that the theory

of waste management would give to the domain great contribution in achieving

the goals of waste management: resource conservation and environment

protection. The practical values of Waste Management Theory thus are: giving

answers to conceptual questions by explaining waste and concepts, providing

a guide for choosing waste management options, providing a foundation for

how and when to select and integrate waste management options, predicting

the outcomes of the use of waste management actions, and aiding legislation

in how to prescribe activity for/upon waste.

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Conceptual Framework

Solid Waste Management is a government program intended to lessen

the improper waste disposal under RA 9003 of 2001. Under this program, local

authorities are mandated to administer seminars, and implement solid waste

management practices to their designated municipalities. Solid Waste

Management includes the segregation of waste from biodegradable, non-

biodegradable, and recyclable.

Figure A shows the schematic diagram and illustrates the relationship

between the independent and dependent variable and the output of the study.

First the independent variable shows the level of awareness, the subjects self-

perception based on either oneness with the environment which pertains to

New Ecological Paradigm and dominance over other species which pertains

to Dominant Social Paradigm. Second, the independent variable shows the

attitude towards recycling, the subjects attitude towards the introduced waste

management method which is recycling. Third, the dependent variable, which

shows the state of solid waste management in the locale of the study. Lastly,

the researcher’s observation with the subjects; level of awareness, attitude

towards recycling and their perception on the state of solid waste management

in their area, and the output that centers to the implications based on the result

of the study.
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Independent Dependent
Output
Variables Variable

LEVEL OF SOLID WASTE

AWARENESS MANAGEMENT
AWARENESS
 Solid Waste
Management
PROGRAM
ATTITUDE TOWARDS  Environmental
Impact
RECYCLING
 Sustainable
Development

SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE

 Age;
 Sex;
 Educational attainment;
 Number of household
members; and
 Monthly family income

Figure A. The Schematic Diagram

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Statement of the Problem

This study will aim to answer the following questions:

1. What is the socio-economic profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1 age;

1.2 gender;

1.3 educational attainment;

1.4 occupation;

1.5 number of household members; and

1.6 monthly family income?

2. What is the respondent’s level of awareness on waste management in terms

of:

2.1 new ecological paradigm;

2.2 dominant social paradigm?

3. What is the respondent’s attitude towards recycling?

4. What is the current status of solid waste management on the respondent’s

area in terms of:

4.1 solid waste management;

4.2 environmental impact;

4.3 sustainable development?

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5. Is there a significant relationship between the socio-economic profile and

the level of awareness?

6. Is there a significant relationship between socio-economic profile and

attitude towards recycling?

7. Is there a significant relationship between socio-economic profile and solid

waste management?

8. Is there a significant relationship between level of awareness and solid

waste management?

9. What awareness program can be designed based on the results of the

study?
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Hypotheses

Hypotheses in null forms will be formulated and to be tested empirically

at 0.05 level of significance.

Ho1: There is no significant relationship between the respondents socio-

economic profile and the respondents; level of awareness, attitude

towards recycling and solid waste management.

Ho2: There is no significant relationship between the respondent’s level

of awareness, attitude towards recycling, and solid waste

management.

Ho3: There is no significant relationship between the respondent’s level

of awareness and attitude towards recycling.

Ho4: There is no significant difference between adolescents and adult

respondents level of awareness, attitude towards recycling, and

solid waste management.

Ho5: There is no significant interaction among the variables: level of

awareness, attitude towards recycling, and solid waste

management.
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Scope and Limitations

The scope of this study covers the identification of the relationship,

difference, and interaction among variables; level of awareness, attitude

towards recycling, and solid waste management among the adolescents and

adult respondents. It is limited to adolescents and adults whose age ranges

from 13 to 19 years old for the adolescent respondents and 20 and above for

the adult counterpart all residing in Rebe, Lala, Lanao del Norte. The maximum

number of participants in this study is 50, since the location of the study has a

small population count. The study is only applicable to literate respondents –

meaning, those who are able to read or write and comprehend the

questionnaires. Socio-economic status of the respondents has no bearing on

this study at all.

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Significance

This study is important in that it increases the awareness of the readers

about the problem on waste disposal the whole world is facing. Another

significant impact of this study is to increase the reader’s knowledge about the

ways of proper solid waste disposal.

Local Government Unit (LGU), this study may encourage them to

continually support and improve the law on proper waste disposal, specifically

the RA 9003 of 2000. Also to encourage them to not just address the law but

also lead the implementation of it, especially by the local government units

where they can easily reach out the citizens to raise awareness and educate

the people about proper waste disposal.

Teachers, may you continue to spread awareness and lead the

implementation and practices of solid waste management inside the

classroom. Through your teachings children will know the importance of solid

waste management in saving our environment.

Parents, through this study may you lead the awareness and practice of

waste management in your household, for the reason that parents are the first

teachers to their children’s sight and that cleanliness starts within the
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household. And with your guidance the children in the household might follow

the practices of waste management.

Community, through this study they will have a better and deeper

understanding on how serious the rising problem on improper waste disposal

contributes to health and environmental risks, not just for the existing

generation but on the future generation as well if this same problem is not taken

care of.

Students, with this study, they may sustainably practice the proper

management of waste and not just rely on the awareness that they gained

through attending seminars. As what Matre (1990) said “Environmental

education that just educates people about the environment without asking

them to make changes in their own lives is not environmental education – it’s

natural science”.

Future Researchers, the ideas presented in this study may be used or

may serve as a fundamental reference material if they wish to improve this

research or do other new researches related to this study.

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Definition of Terms

To understand the study more, the following terms are defined as used

operationally in this study.

Attitude Towards Recycling. An individual’s approach on reusing

materials that are discarded as useless. In this study, it is used as an

instrument that measures the respondent’s attitude and thoughts about

recycling.

Dominant Social Paradigm. The view that humans are superior to all

other species, the Earth provides unlimited resources for humans, and that

progress is an inherent part of human history. In this study, it is used as a

measure of the respondent’s denial when asked about the problem on waste

disposal.

Environmental Impact. The impact on the living and non-living

surroundings, natural or man-made, which make life on Earth possible. In this

study, environmental impact is used to measure the impact that the solid waste

materials has given to our environment.

Level of Awareness. Defined as the level of being aware or having

knowledge about something. In this study, it is used as a measure on the

respondent’s level of awareness about the serious environmental issues that

the world is facing, in this case, the problem on waste disposal.

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New Ecological Paradigm. The view that humans represent only one

among many species on Earth, where human activities are determined by the

environment as well as by social and cultural factors, and that humans are

strongly dependent upon the environment and its resources. In this study, new

ecological paradigm is used as a measure to the respondent’s level of

awareness with the issue on solid waste management.

Solid Waste Management. The discipline associated with control of

generation, storage, collection, transport or transfer, processing and disposal

of solid waste materials in a way that best addresses the range of public health,

conservation, economics, aesthetic, engineering and other environmental

considerations.(Leblanc, 2017) In this study, it is used to measure the

respondents knowledge and practices on solid waste management in their

household, as well as the state of solid waste management in the area as a

whole.

Sustainable Development. Promotes development at a rate and such

a way to ensure that the quality of the environment and the supply of the

resource is maintain and, wherever practicable, enhanced to meet the needs

of the present generations without compromising future generations “need”. In

this study, it is used to measure the development on solid waste management

in the respondent’s community, in the respondent’s point of view.