Institutionalizing Sustainable Solid Waste Management in Philippine Secondary Schools: A Mixed-Methods Assessment of Practices, Challenges and Policy Implications

Abstract

Developing countries continue to face solid waste management (SWM) challenges due to limited resources, weak enforcement, and difficulty sustaining behavior change. Schools—large, dense, and socially diverse institutions—offer strategic spaces for testing ecological waste systems and shaping youth pro-environmental norms. This study assessed SWM practices and institutional challenges at Mangaldan National High School (MNHS) in Pangasinan, the largest public secondary school in Region I, Philippines. Using a descriptive mixed-methods design, we combined a student survey (n = 376), key-informant interviews with administrators, focal teachers, janitorial staff, and local government unit (LGU) personnel, and structured on-site observations. The study examined (1) the existence and implementation of a school SWM plan; (2) coordination with the LGU; (3) waste reduction, segregation, collection, disposal, and recycling practices; and (4) management of special waste (e.g., e-waste, hazardous, and sanitary waste). Findings revealed the absence of a formal School SWM Plan, limited LGU participation, inconsistent segregation, and reliance on janitorial staff to recover recyclables from mixed waste. Students’ participation was moderate (overall mean ≈ 3.4 on a 5-point scale). Observations identified at least one unregulated dumpsite and broken or missing bins. The paper recommends an RA 9003–aligned School SWM Plan, a functional on-campus materials recovery facility, institutionalized LGU–school partnerships, and systematic integration of environmental education and behavior-change strategies to transform schools into “living laboratories” for SDG 12 and SDG 4.