Digital Album

PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Aleena Elizabeth Alex (Physical Science Education)

St. Thomas College of Teacher Education, Pala-2024

ABSTRACT:

The project titled Plastic Waste Management Practices among High School Students"aims to investigate the plastic waste management practices among high school students. The Prevalence of single-use plastics among high school students is concerning, as it contributes to the accumulation of plastic waste in landfills and oceans. The study was conducted in St. Michael'sHSS, Pravithanam, Kottayam district, and the data was collected from 30 students using a survey method. The study found that most students scored between the ranges of 40-50 marks in plastic waste management practices, and the mean score for the whole sample is 46.23 with a standard deviation of 4.59. The study also found that boys have good plastic waste management practices than girls in moderate and lower achievement categories, while girls showed higher achievement in higher levels of plastic waste management practices. The study highlights the need for a multifaceted approach that encompasses education, behavior change, and infrastructuremIprovements to address plastic waste management among high school students.

Keywords: Plastic waste management, practices of plastic waste management

INTRODUCTION:

Plastic waste has become a significant environmental issue globally, with detrimental effects onecosystems, wildlife, and human health. Among the various contributors to plastic pollution,high school students represent a demographic that can play a crucial role in mitigating thisproblem. Therefore, understanding their plastic waste management practices and attitudesowards sustainability is paramount in developing effective intervention strategies.he prevalence of single-use plastics among high school students is concerning, as it contributeso the accumulation of plastic waste in landfills and oceans. Many students rely on plastic bottles,bags, and packaging for their daily activities, often disposing of them improperly withoutconsidering the long-term consequences. Without proper education and awareness, these habitscan perpetuate the cycle of plastic pollution and exacerbate environmental degradation.Moreover, the lack of proper waste management infrastructure in many schools further compoundsthe issue. Inadequate recycling facilities and limited education on proper waste disposal exacerbatethe problem, leading to a culture of convenience over environmental responsibility. As a result,

plastic waste continues to accumulate, posing a threat to ecosystems and human health.

Addressing plastic waste management among high school students requires a multifaceted

approach that encompasses education, behavior change, and infrastructure improvements. By

understanding the current practices and attitudes of students towards plastic waste, stakeholderscan develop targeted interventions to promote sustainable behaviors and reduce plastic

consumption.

Furthermore, engaging high school students in plastic waste management initiatives can have

broader societal benefits beyond environmental conservation. It fosters a sense of responsibility

and empowerment among young individuals, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to

become stewards of the environment in their communities and beyond.

Through this project, we aim to investigate the plastic waste management practices among high

school students and identify factors influencing their behaviors. By conducting surveys,

interviews, and observational studies, we seek to gain insights into the disposal habits, attitudes,

and perceptions of students towards plastic waste. Additionally, we will explore the role of

educational interventions and infrastructure improvements in promoting sustainable behaviors

among students.

Ultimately, by understanding and addressing the challenges associated with plastic waste

management among high school students, we can work towards creating a more sustainable future

for generations to come.

NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY:

Plastic products have become an integral of our daily life as a result of which the polymer is

produced at massive scale worldwide. It is estimated that approximately 70% of plastic packaging

products are converted into wastes in a short span of time. We are able recycle only 60% to of the

waste produced as plastics and the remaining 40% serves as a threat to mankind and towards earth.

If we are able to properly dispose plastic products at the consumer level, the values of recycled

plastics can be increased considerably. Along with good recycling practices, we need a free attitude

in our daily life as it is the need of hour.

The present study enables the investigator to study on the plastic waste management practices in

high school students, because the sample denotes the upcoming generations well.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

 To find out prevailing plastic waste management practices among high school students.

 To compare the plastic waste management practices among boys and girls in the same

sampleFor the present study a rating scale was used for assessing prevailing plastic waste management

among high school students.

SCORING PROCEDURE:

The rating scale for the study consist of 3-point Likert scale. For a positive statement 3 points was

allotted for “Yes” and 2 and 1 respectively for “Sometimes” and “No”. For a negative statement

“No’ was given 3 points followed by 2 and 1 for “Sometimes” and “No”. A total of 20 questions

were there in the questionnaire, which reflects overall plastic waste management practices of

students. As a result, the score maximum is limited to 60 points.

DATA COLLECTION:

The study was conducted in St. Michael's HSS, Pravithanam, Kottayam district having 30 from

both standard VIII and IX. For the study 16 girls and 14 boys were selected randomly for the study.

ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS:

The first objective of the study was to analyze was the awareness of plastic waste management

practices among high school students. The data need for the study was obtained through survey

method among 30 high school students using rating scale technique. The maximum obtained score

obtained score was 57 and minimum score was 39.

The investigator, used descriptive statistics mainly mean, standard deviation and frequency

distribution for obtaining findings of a the objectives. The investigator prepared frequency

distribution of the scores of level of attitude towards prevailing plastic waste management practices

among high school students of Kottayam district as in Table 1.

Table 1: Frequency distribution of scores related to practices in plastic waste management among High School students.

Class interval Mid-point Frequency Percentage of

students (%)

0-10 5 0 0

10-20 15 0 0

20-30 25 0 0

30-40 35 1 3.33

40-50 45 24 80

50-60 55 5 16.67

From the frequency distribution table, it is clear that 80% of students’ scores between 40-50 marks,

which shows their understanding over plastic waste management practices. About 16.7% showed

higher level of knowledge and only 3.33%

 showed a below average performance

METHODOLOGY:

For the study, the data was collected from 30 students of St. Michaels H.S. Pravithanam using

survey method.

SAMPLE:

The sample for the study consist of30 students from St. The highest number of frequencies lies between 40-50 range of marks and minimum over 30-40

range of marks. It is evident that no students have below average performance in plastic waste

management practices.

Figure 1: Histogram on scores obtained in plastic waste management practices among HS students.

From the frequency distribution chart it is evident that majority of students have marks between

the interval 40-50, which can be considered as an average performance. It is also evident that no

students came under the category of marks from 0 to 30. It shows the minimum level of

understanding on the subject.

The following table shows the variable, no of samples analyzed (N), maximum score, minimum

score, mean and standard deviation (S.D.) on the level of scores on plastic waste management

practices among High School students.

Table 2: Maximum, minimum, mean and standard deviation scores on prevailing plastic waste management practices among

HS students.

Variable N Maximum

score

Minimum

score

Mean S.D.

Scores on

prevailing

plastic waste

management

practices

30 39 57 46.23 4.59

Table 1.2 shows that the mean score obtained by students are 46.23 which is about 80% of marks.

It shows high level of understanding of students regarding the topic.

The standard deviation, score of the study is 4.59, which shows that there is no bigger gap between

higher achieved students and lower achieved students. It also reassures our findings related to our

mean score. From the mean and standard deviation score it can be said that, most students are

aware and still practicing plastic waste management methods.

Based on the standard deviation of scores, the whole sample was classified into three categories

such as high, moderate and lower level practices on plastic waste management. The distribution of

students in the sample is presented in Table 3.

Table 3: Distribution of students on the basis of mean and standard deviation

Level of

achievement

Range No. of students Percentage (%)

High Above (m+𝜎)

≥ 50.8281

5 16.667

Moderate (m-𝜎) 𝑡𝑜 (𝑚 + 𝜎)

41.6385 – 50.8281

18 60

Low Below (m-𝜎)

≤ 41.6385

7 23.33

The table shows that majority (60%) of students are practicing moderate plastic waste management

strategies. Also 16.67% shows high level of attainment in practicing these while 23.3% comes

below the level.

The pie chart of the above data is given below:

Figure 2: Pie chart showing level of achievement

For the second objective of the study, i.e., a comparison between boys and girls regarding plastic

waste management practices, the data was filtered as boys and girls and analyzed the findings. The

study was conducted over 14 boys and 16 girls of St. Michael's HS Pravithanam.

The mean values of the scores for practices regarding plastic waste management are listed in Table

Table 4: Mean scores of boys and girls in the assessment

Mean value

Variable Boys Girls

Scores on prevailing

practices of plastic waste

management

46.8571 45.6875

The above table shows that the mean score of boys in practices related to plastic waste management

as 45.6875 and that of girls as 46.8571. Boys scored more than girls in mean value, which clearly

states that they have good attitude towards managing plastic wastes. Girls also scored well, which

is almost 80% of the score. It shows their

 willingness for a clean plastic free world.

Table 5: Comparison of mean and S.D. scores of boys and girls.

Variable Category No. of pupils Mean S.D.

Scores of prevailing plastic

waste management

practices

Boys 14 46.8571 3.5225

Girls 16 45.6875 5.2999

From the table it is clear that the boys’ shows good performance in plastic waste management

practices than girls. It can be reassured by categorizing students into higher achievement and lower

achievement based on standard deviation values.

The table below shows the number of students having higher, moderate and lower performance

based on standard deviation vales in both male and female category.

Table 6: S.D. scores of boys and girls

Level of

achievement

Gender Range No. of students Percentage (%)

High

Boys ≥ 50.38 2 14.285

Girls ≥ 50.98 3 18.75

Moderate

Boys 43.33-50.38 10 71.426

Girls 50.98-40.38 8 50

Low

Boys ≤ 43.33 2 14.285

Girls ≤ 40.38 5 31.25

From this table, the girls shows higher achievement than boys. But coming to moderate level of

performance and lower level of performances the girls scored less compared boys.

Based on these we can clearly state that boys have good plastic waste management practices than

girls.

MAJOR FINDINGS:

 From the frequency distribution analysis of scores in plastic waste management practices,

most students scored between the ranges of 40-50 marks.

 The mean score for the whole sample is 46.23 with a standard deviation of 4.59.

 From the standard deviation values it is obvious that 60% of students comes under

moderate category and 16.6% with high level of achievement.

 While comparing the mean scores of boys and girls, it is evident that boys have good plastic

REFERENCES:

1. https://typeset.io/papers/plastics-the-environment-and-human-health-current-

consensus-25az22g875

2. http://swachhbharaturban.gov.in/writereaddata/SBM%20Plastic%20Waste%20Bo

ok.pdf

3. https://cpcb.nic.in/overview-of-plastic-waste/

4. Siddiqui, J., & Pandey, G. (2013). A review of plastic waste management

strategies. Int. Res. J. Environ. Sci, 2(12), 84.

5. Ilyas, M., Ahmad, W., Khan, H., Yousaf, S., Khan, K., & Nazir, S. (2018). Plastic

waste as a significant threat to environment–a systematic literature review. Reviews

on environmental health, 33(4), 383-406.

6. Chow, C. F., So, W. M. W., Cheung, T. Y., & Yeung, S. K. D. (2017). Plastic waste

problem and education for plastic waste management. Emerging practices in

scholarship of learning and teaching in a digital era, 125-140.

management skills than girls.

The graph shown below shows the comparison of mean scores:

Figure 3: Mean scores of boys and girls in plastic waste management practices.

The table below shows the relationship between gender and variable, and how standard deviation

varies with gender.