SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AWARENESS AND PRACTICES

IN PUROK PAGKAKAISA, POBLACION UNO, BANSALAN,

DAVAO DEL SUR: BASIS FOR ENHANCEMENT
PROGRAM

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of

St. Mary’s College of Bansalan, Inc.
Basic Education Department

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Practical

Research II in Science, Technology,
Engineering, Mathematics
Strand (STEM)

Gerold Frank Z. Caballero

Daisy Mae Sapilan
Nonilo Dacula
Sheila Mae Martel
Wilcinth Jess Son
Rex Mier

October 2019
 Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

Rationale

As the world is faced with critical environmental problems, educational systems

must produce environmentally literate citizens who care about the environment and

have sufficient knowledge about environmental issues to behave responsibly. Human

activities, such as the accumulation of waste, destruction of ecosystems, and depletion

of natural resources, have had a profound effect on the environment (Tuncer et al.,

2009, P. Bautista, 2019)

Many environmental issues facing society, such as ecosystem collapse, demand

considerable public investment to reverse. However, this investment will only arise if it is

supported by the general community, and community support is only likely if the issues

are widely understood (Miller et al. 2006, Curtis, D. J., Reid, N., & Ballard, G.,2012).

Sustainability is a problem all over the world. It is more on creating a global network in

response to environmental problems along with industrialization and technological

innovation (Subramanyam& Greenfield, 2008, Morelli, 2011).

Moreover, since 2007 environmental awareness is building up within the

Malaysian government as well as in consumers’ minds. The government has adopted

a National Strategic Plan for Solid Waste Management with emphasis on the upgrading

of unsanitary landfills as well as the construction of new sanitary landfills and transfer

stations with integrated material recovery facilities. A new Solid Waste Management Bill

was adopted by parliament in June2007. The bill is to drastically change the structure of
solid waste management in Malaysia and to open up for the development of a

completely new business sector. New concessions on domestic waste management will

be introduced, as well as recycling, and handling of specific types of solid waste like

plastic, paper etc. is highlighted. Solid waste management is a priority area under the

9th Malaysian Plan, as can be seen by the government setting up a Solid Waste

Department which is entrusted to enforce the Solid Waste Management Bill. (Asmawati

Desa,2012

Furthermore, in the Philippines, the Section 55-56 of Republic Act 9003 or The

Ecological Solid Waste Management Act stipulates that the national government in

coordination with Department of Education (DepEd), Technical Education and Skills

Development Authority (TESDA); Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and

Philippine Information Agency (PIA), should conduct a continuing education and

information campaign on solid waste management and strengthen the integration of

environmental concerns in school (Paghasian, 2017).

In addition to that, in Davao City, awareness of solid waste management and its

practices is generally implemented to help and provide the city to gain its clean

surroundings. The Ancillary Services Unit (ASU), a division under the City Mayor’s

Office of the city government of Davao raised alarm over the disposal of plastic wastes

in the city. Meanwhile, the City Environment and Natural Environment Resources Office

(CENRO) also raised the same observation, saying that the public lacks awareness on

the proper disposal of wastes that causes problems like clogging of major canals. In the

same press conference on CENRO Acing Head Engineer Dolly Remojo admitted that
proper waste disposal has been the constant challenge of their agency considering that

dumping of waste in Davao coastal areas pose a negative effect on the environment

(Cortez, 2019).

With all the national and local efforts for effective solid waste management, the

researchers have not come across a study which particularly investigated the levels of

solid waste management awareness of the public and the solid waste management

practices of the community in Barangay Poblacion Dos, Bansalan, Davao del Sur for the

purpose of developing an enhancement program. It is in this perspective that the

researchers were prompted to conduct this study as this can raise concerns to intended

beneficiaries particularly the local and national government officials and the residents

alike, thus the need to conduct this study.

Research Objectives

The main thrust of the study is to find out the significant solid waste management

awareness and practices of Purok Pagkakaisa in Poblacion Uno, Bansalan,Davao del

Sur which is the basis for enhancement.

Moreover, it seeks to answer the following objectives:

1. To determine the level of solid waste management awareness of the

residents in terms of:

1.1 Consumer consciousness

1.2 Needs of education

1.3 Environmental impact

2. To ascertain the level of solid waste management practice of the residents in

terms of:

2.1 Segregation,

2.2 Waste Incineration,

2.3 Source Reduction,

2.4 Recycling, and

2.5 Waste Disposal

3. To formulate an enhancement program based on the findings of the study.

Review of Related Literature

Presented in this section are readings from the related literature, different books,

journals, articles, and internet of different authors relevant to the present research work.

Description and Concept of Solid Waste Management

Solid waste management is defined as the direct generation, collection, storage,

transport, source separation, processing, treatment, recovery and disposal of solid

waste. It is a polite term for garbage management. It is the response to the world’s

stinking and escalating problem on the garbage. Mounting waste problem has been the

core foundation of hazardous illness and land depletion, not to mention is negative

upshot to the environment. The system of handling trash, be it municipal waste

collection, recycling programs, open dumping, incineration and gasification fall on the

same category. Despite the years of attempting to resolve the mounting waste problem,

the problem still persist (Enriquez, 2011).

Awareness Regarding Consumer Consciousness in Waste Management

Social issues and concerns such as corporate social responsibility are again at

the forefront of academic research and management thinking (Chan et. al., Oates

2017). A common theme across many marketing studies in this area is the attempt to

define the characteristics of green consumers for segmentation purposes. The main

segmentation tools that have been used include demographics and/or socio-

demographics with a view to aligning consumers’ characteristics with their propensity to

purchase green products and services. Studies have found the green consumer to be

educated/not educated, older/younger, female/male, or found no relationship at all

between such factors and green consumer behavior (Li, J. X., Liu, D., & Liu, L. 2013).

Awareness Regarding the Need of Education about Waste Management

A critical component in any waste management program is public awareness and

participation, in addition to appropriate legislation, strong technical support, and

adequate funding. Waste is the result of human activities and everyone needs to have a

proper understanding of waste management issues, without which the success of even

the best conceived waste management plan becomes questionable (Hasan, S. E.,

Pudin, 2015). Waste disposal is an immediate and critical issue for the community now

and ineffective or irresponsible disposal of solid waste pollutes the environment and

pose health risk to public.

Awareness about Environmental Impact

There has been an overwhelming promotion of waste management tools and

sustainable development activities in recent years. As a result, there is a growing

awareness of waste management issues and the potential problems related to the

negative impacts on the environment. Generally speaking, construction is not an

environmentally friendly activity. Comprehensive reviews were encouraged to provide

waste management measures in construction activities. Various factors are affecting the

environment, which include land use and land deterioration, resource depletion, waste

generation and various forms of pollution (Tam et al., Marshall, R. E., & Farahbakhsh,

K. (2013)
 Environmental problems have attracted the attention all over the world. People

are becoming increasingly conscious of variety of problems like global warming, air,

water and land pollution. Most of the environmental problems could be caused by

manmade pollution which not only damage natural resources, but also its effect is also

dangerous. Human activities create waste, and it is the way these waste are handled,

stored, collected and disposed of which can pose risks to the environment and public

health ( Zurbrugg, Carley et. al. 2017).

As reported by Guzman et al., (2010), solid waste management is one of the

most critical environmental problems today. In metro Manila alone, approximately 0.6

kilogram per person of garbage is produced with a total amount of about 6000 to 7000

tons per day. Despite the fact that not all of these collection system people seem to be

unconcerned with the amount of solid and semisolid waste they produce.

Proper collection is a solution to the country’s waste problem. Unfortunately, disposal

would not be the most and sole answer to this concern (Guzman et al., 2010). On the

other hand, source reduction is considered to be the solution to solid waste problem.

This means that first and foremost, people should consider how much waste is

generated and in what ways can they reduced it. Secondly, they should consider how

much of the wastes can be diverted from final disposal into other forms. Related to this,

several issues need to be resolved by the government agencies concerned with the

solid waste management program in the Philippines (Guzman et al, 2010).

Solid Waste Management Practices

From prehistory through the present day, the favored means of solid waste

disposal is simply to dump solid waste outside the city or village limits. Frequently, these

dumps are in wetlands, river or lakes. To minimize the volume of the wastes, the dump

is often burned. These methods are being used in remote or sparsely populated areas

in the world (Enger& Smith, Ioana, 2010).

According to Zaman, A. U., & Lehmann, S. (2011), waste management is an

integrated part of the sustainable development. As population continues to grow and

economy expands, there is a need to ensure the waste generated is properly manage

on order to preserve the existing environment for future generations. Waste

management has also been widely recognized especially in the 1980’s when there was

a fear of landfill crisis. Since then, major development happened in municipal waste

management.

Incineration. Incineration of refuse was quote common in North America and

Western Europe prior to 1940. However, many incinerators were claimed because of

aesthetic concerns, such as foul odors, noxious gases, and gritty smoke, rather than for

reasons of public health. Most incineration facilities burn unprocessed municipal solid

waste, which is not as efficient as some other technologies. About one-fourth of the

incinerators use refuse-derived fuel-collected refuse that has been processed into the

pellets prior to combustion. It could be a process of burning wastes to generate

electricity. This process is considered harmful to the environment as it adds a lot of

emission to the atmosphere making already fast speed scale of global warming to

escalate even further (Guzman et al., 2010)

Source Reduction. According to Cunningham and Saigo, Badgie et. al. (2012), the

most fundamental way to reduce wastes is to prevent it from becoming waste in the first

place. Source reduction means using less materials when making a product or

converting from heavy packaging materials to lightweight ones. Some packaging

materials are converted to lightweight aluminum and plastic and reducing the thickness

of packaging, thus reducing the amount of packaging wastes. In 2003, plastic milk jugs

weigh about half of what they weighted when they were first introduced. On an

individual level, one can reduce amount of wastes generated. Every small personal

commitment accumulates result of a significant reduction of municipal solid wastes.

Recycling. Solid wastes may be recycled into useful products. Nowadays, as

reported by Guzman et al., (2010), recyclable materials recovered from municipal

refuse. Many municipalities require that those who generate solid wastes must

separate and keep bottles, cans, newspaper, cardboards and other recyclables items.

Special trucks pick up these wastes and transfer to the recycling facilities.

In the Philippines, recycling is well established. It is slowly taking-off in the more

parts of Asia. Two of which are in the remote village of Looc on Panglau Island in the

Philippines. Locals now collect plastics for recycling to supplement their income. Also,

schemes are under way to recycle plastic bottles and cans. The collected material is

send to Cebu City by barge. There, the bottles can are processed. It is important to note
that the motivators for this recycling initiate are mostly financial rather than

environmental. These rural communities are still living in a severe poverty, with the

proceeds of sale used to buy basic foods staples (Alan, 2011). There are two types of

recycling: One is direct in the sense of materials are reused directly like bottles and

refillable beverage containers. The indirect way is when the waste materials will

undergo processing like aluminum cans. With recycling, new materials are formed out of

sates (Guzman & Reyes, 2003 as cited in Anito, 2011).

Burning Wastes. In cities that do not have enough land available for landfills,

controlled burning of wastes at high temperatures to produce steam and ash is a

preferred waste disposal technique. Combustion reduces significantly the volume of

wastes to be disposed. Moreover, solid wastes can provide for a continuously available

and alternative source for generating energy through combustion. This energy can be

channeled into useful purpose (Debashree, 2012).

Segregation. Waste needs to be segregated for a start into waste that is

degradable and waste that is not. Organic waste from kitchens, paper, and other items

made from organic material are degradable and will not cause problems in landfills. It is

also possible for this organic waste to be converted into biomass and help to produce

compost. In many municipal landfills, this organic waste is used to generate methane

that is then used to produce electricity. Inorganic waste can again further be

segregated into waste that can go a long way to making waste management

environmentally friendly be recycled (McFarland, 2016).

 The solid waste generated within the area of jurisdiction shall be characterized

for initial source reduction and recycling element of the local waste management plan. A

separate container is required for each type of waste for on-site collection properly

marked as “compostable”, “non-recyclable”, “recyclable” or “special waste”. Waste

segregation shall primarily be conducted at the source including household,

commercial, industrial and agricultural sources (Aquino et. al, 2013).

Disposal. According to the FGS Group (2014) proper waste disposal is critical

due to the fact that certain types of wastes can be hazardous and can contaminate the

environment if not handled properly. These types of waste also have the potential to

cause disease or get into water supplies. There are rules and regulations in place for

how specific types of waste should be disposed of. Following them allows for toxic

waste to be safely discarded without the risk of environmental contamination

Theoretical Framework

The study is anchored with the assumption of Tartiu (2011) that citizens must

have awareness about environmental problems so that they can play their role very

effectively in proper waste management. Rapid population growth and uncontrolled

industrial development are seriously degrading the urban and semi- urban environment

in many of the world’s developing countries, placing enormous strain on natural

resources and obstructing efficient and sustainable development. Solid waste can be

defined as non-liquid material that no longer has any value to the person who is

responsible for it. Responsible waste management requires everyone’s cooperation

because separate containers and all the necessary information about correct waste

disposal are available to everyone (Galvan, 2012). The words rubbish, garbage, trash,

and refuse are often used as synonyms when talking about solid waste. So, solid

wastes are the organic or inorganic waste materials produced by various activities of the

society, which have lost their value to the first user. It is generated by domestic,

commercial, industrial, healthcare, agriculture and mineral extraction activities and

accumulates in streets and public places. Responsible waste management requires

everyone’s cooperation because separate containers and all the necessary information

about correct waste disposal are available to everyone (Galvan, 2012). This means that

when the community is involved in an undertaking, they have ownership of it and the

decision making process, which is key to a successful project outcome, even if not all

individuals necessarily agree with the outcome. Community engagement is a vital part

of many projects and the benefits of it are well documented, such as better outcomes

for all stakeholders, community ownership and lower project costs. Effective community
engagement is about recognizing that involving the public in a project is no longer about

information dissemination and telling the people what is being done, but is a two-way

information sharing tool.

Conceptual Framework

The conceptual paradigm in Figure 1 shows the input and output of the study.

The output of the study is merely the enhancement program while there are two inputs

of the study, the first input is the awareness of solid waste management which has its

indicators namely: consumer consciousness, needs of education and environmental

impact.

The first indicator is consumer consciousness which refers to the concept of

conscious consumerism, to analyze whether or not their operations harm the

environment and human resources. The second indicator is needs of education which

refers to environmental education that is needed to be aware in concern to solid wastes.

The last indicator is environmental impact which refers to possible impacts if an

individual is aware about solid waste management.

 INPUT OUTPUT

Awareness of Solid Waste

Management
 Consumer consciousness

 Needs of education

 Environmental impact
Enhancement
 Program

Practices on Solid Waste

Management

 Segregation
 Waste Incineration
 Source Reduction
 Recycling
 Waste Disposal

Figure 1. The Conceptual Framework Showing the Input-Output of the Study

 The second input of the study is the practices on solid waste management which

has its indicators namely: segregation, waste incineration, source reduction, recycling

and waste disposal.

The first indicator is the segregation which refers to the action or state of setting

someone or something apart from other people or things or being set apart. The second

indicator is waste incineration which states to waste treatment process that involves the

combustion of organic substances contained in waste materials. Incineration and other

high-temperature waste treatment systems are described as "thermal treatment".

Incineration of waste materials converts the waste into ash, flue gas and heat. The third

indicator is source reduction which states to the elimination of waste before it is created.

It involves the design, manufacture, purchase or use of materials and products to

reduce the amount or toxicity of what is thrown away. Source Reduction means

stopping waste before it happens. The fourth indicator is recycling which states to the

process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. It is an alternative

to "conventional" waste disposal that can save material and help lower greenhouse gas

emissions. Recycling can prevent the waste of potentially useful materials and reduce

the consumption of fresh raw materials, thereby reducing: energy usage, air pollution

(from incineration), and water pollution (from landfilling). The last indicator is waste

disposal which states to the process of getting rid of unwantedmaterials or substances.

Significance of the Study

The most important reason for waste collection is the protection of the

environment and the health of the population. Waste collection companies also sort the

garbage into recyclable columns, as recycling the products that leave our homes is of

utmost importance. Recycling not only helps in conserving our natural resources but

also reduces the cost of production of many products. Products such as glass, oil,

plastic, paper can all be recycled which will ultimately put less pressure on the natural

resources used to manufacture these products. Natural beauty is a legacy and a right

for future generations and conserving it, as well as our natural resources, for their

benefit is our responsibility today (Mohammed, 2016).

Furthermore, the findings of the study may be beneficial to the Local Government

Unit. The proposing study serves the government officials, personnel as theirreferences

or guide in creating their program concerned with solid waste management. It will give

them ideas on how to additionally enhance the solid waste management.

Moreover, this study may be beneficial to the residents. The said study will help

the constituents of barangay to have a deeper understanding to the programs that their

barangay officials are making. By this study they will come up easier and powerful

programs that could enhance the programs that the local barangay would conduct.

Consequently, this study will also be beneficial to the future researchers of this

topic. The proposed study will benefit and help the future researcher as their guide. The

study can also open in development of this study. Likewise, this study would serve as

foundation of the future researcher for further studies about the related variables and

related studies.
 Definition of Terms

The following terms in this study are operationally defined for clarity purposes:

Solid Waste Management (SWM). It is the science that addresses the logistics,

environmental impact, social responsibility and cost of an organizations’ waste disposal

(Licy1, Vivek, Saritha1, Anies&Josphina, 2013). As used in the study, this refers to the

effort of Barangay Poblacion Dos, Bansalan addressing the issue of solid waste in the

immediate community.

Awareness. This refers to the state of the residents of Barangay Poblacion Dos,

Bansalan being informed regarding consumer consciousness, needs of education and

environmental impactin the local community.

Practices. This refers to the efforts of the barangay local government units

addressing solid waste and solid waste management in the local community in terms of

segregation, waste incineration, source reduction, recycling, and waste disposal.

Consumer Consciousness. This refers to the concept of conscious

consumerism, to analyze whether or not their operations harm the environment and

human resources.

Needs of Education. This refers to environmental education that is needed to be

aware in concern to solid wastes.

Environmental Impact. This refers to possible impacts if an individual is aware

about solid waste management.

Segregation. This refers to the action or state of setting someone or something

apart from other people or things or being set apart.

 Waste Incineration. This refers to waste treatment process that involves the

combustion of organic substances contained in waste materials. Incineration and other

high-temperature waste treatment systems are described as "thermal treatment".

Incineration of waste materials converts the waste into ash, flue gas and heat.

Source Reduction. This refers to the elimination of waste before it is created. It

involves the design, manufacture, purchase or use of materials and products to reduce

the amount or toxicity of what is thrown away. Source Reduction means stopping waste

before it happens.

Recycling. This refers to the process of converting waste materials into new

materials and objects. It is an alternative to "conventional" waste disposal that can save

material and help lower greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling can prevent the waste of

potentially useful materials and reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, thereby

reducing: energy usage, air pollution (from incineration), and water pollution (from

landfilling).

Waste Disposal. This refers to the process of getting rid of unwanted materials

or substances.
 Chapter II

METHODS

Presented in this chapter are the discussions on the research design, the

research locale, the population and sample, the research instrument, the data

collection, and the statistical tools.

Research Design

The quantitative, non-experimental design of research using descriptive method

is use in this study. A descriptive research method attempts to describes the

characteristics of the population or phenomenon that is being studied. This methodology

focuses more on the “what” of the research subject rather than the “why” of the research

subject. The description is used for frequencies, averages and other statistical

calculations often is to conduct a survey investigation (Bhat, 2019). The descriptive

research approach is a basic research method that examines the situation, as it exists

in its current state. Descriptive research involves identification of attributes of a

particular phenomenon based on an observational basis, or the exploration of

correlation between two or more phenomena (Creswell, 2013).

Relative to this, descriptive method was appropriate for the study since it aimed

to describe the levels of solid waste management awareness and practices in Poblacion

Dos, Bansalan, Davao del Sur.

Research Locale

The study is being conducted in Purok Pagkakaisa in Poblacion Uno, one of the

barangays of the Municipality of Bansalan,Davao del Sur, Region XI, Philippines. Its

population as determined by the 2015 Census was 9,031. This represented 14.94% of

the total population of Bansalan. It will be conducted from July - October 2019.

Shown in Figure 2 is the map of the Poblacion Uno of the municipality of

Bansalan.

Figure 2. Photo of the Research Locale

Population and Sample

The respondents of the study are the residents of Purok Pagkakaisa in Poblacion Uno,

Bansalan Davao del Sur that is 20 years old above. The respondents determine using

the random sampling and the selection of research respondents will be random.

There is 1 representative of each house from Purok Pagkakaisa, excluded the

boarding houses within that area. The study will be conducted from July - October,

2019.

Research Instrument

The survey questionnaire for the levels of solid waste management awareness

was adapted from Bautista (2019). It was modified to fit in to the study and will be

subjected to the validation of the experts. The levels of solid waste management

awareness have the following indicators: awareness regarding on consumer

consciousness, awareness regarding on the needs of education and awareness

regarding on environmental impact.

In evaluating the levels of awareness on solid waste management, the five

orderable gradations of with their respective range of means and descriptions will be

used as follows:

Range of Descriptive Interpretation

Means Equivalent
 4.20 – 5.00 Very High This means that the levels of solid waste
management awareness are observed at all
times.
3.40 – 4.19 High This means that the levels of solid waste
management awareness are often times
observed.

2.60 – 3.39 Moderate This means that the levels of solid waste
management awareness are sometimes
observed.

1.80 – 2.59 Low This means that the levels of solid waste
management awareness are seldom
observed.
1.00 – 1.79 Very Low This means that the levels of solid waste
management awareness are never
observed at all.

The questionnaire for practices in solid waste management was adapted from

Paghasian (2017). It was modified to fit in to the study and will be subjected to the

validation of the experts. The practices in solid waste management have the following

indicators: segregation, waste incineration, source reduction, recycling and waste

disposal.

In evaluating the practices in solid waste management, the five orderable

gradations of with their respective range of means and descriptions will be used as

follows:

Range of Descriptive Interpretation

Means Equivalent

4.20 – 5.00
Very High This means that the practices in waste
management is manifested at all times.

3.40 – 4.19 High This means that the practices in waste

management is often times manifested.
 2.60 – 3.39 Moderate This means that the practices in waste
management is sometimes manifested.

1.80 – 2.59 Low This means that the practices in waste

management is seldom manifested.

1.00 – 1.79 Very Low This means that the practices in waste
management is never manifested at all.

The first draft of the research instrument will be submitted to the research adviser

for comments, suggestions and recommendations to improve its presentation with the

corrections to be included and integrated. The final copies will be submitted to panel of

experts for refinement. The final revision will be made by incorporating the corrections,

comments and suggestions given by the expert validators before the gathering of data.

Data Collection

In the collection of data, the researcher will ask permission from the Purok

Leader, School’s Principal S. Ma. Cynthia V. Cliano RVM, Research adviser Ms.

Judyann Morales, and to the School Heads concerned, to allow the researchers to

conduct the study to the 40 residents in Poblacion Dos, Bansalan, Davao del Sur.

Upon the approval, the researchers will personally distribute and administer the

research instrument on the solid waste management awareness and solid waste

practices to ensure 100 percent retrieval of the questionnaire. Then, a Certificate of

Appearance will be secured from the District Supervisor and from the School Heads

concerned to vouch that the researcher honestly collected the data from the research

respondents of the study. Consequently, the data gathered will be tallied, tabulated,

analyzed and interpreted statistically.

Statistical Tools

The following statistical tools will be used in interpreting the data collated.

Mean. This will be used to describe the level of the solid waste management

awareness and solid waste practices in Purok Pagkakaisa, Poblacion Dos, Bansalan.