Abstract
Assessing waste production in schools highlights the contribution of school children and school staff to the total amount of waste generated in a region, as well as any poor practices of recycling (the so-called separate collection of waste) in schools by the students, which could be improved through educational activities. Educating young people regarding the importance of environmental issues is essential, since instilling the right behavior in school children is also beneficial to the behavior of their families. The way waste management was carried out in different schools in Trento (northern Italy) was analyzed: a primary school, a secondary school, and three high schools were taken as cases of study. The possible influence of the age of the students and of the various activities carried out within the schools on the different behaviors in separating waste was also evaluated. The results showed that the production of waste did not only depend on the size of the institutes and on the number of occupants, but, especially, on the type of activities carried out in addition to the ordinary classes and on the habits of both pupils and staff. In the light of the results obtained, some corrective measures were proposed to schools, aimed at increasing the awareness of the importance of the right behavior in waste management by students and the application of good practices of recycling.
Highlights
Assessing waste production in schools highlights the contribution of school children and school staff to the total amount of waste generated in a region, as well as any poor practices of recycling in schools by the students, which could be improved through educational activities
Educating young people regarding the importance of environmental issues is essential, since instilling the right behavior in school children is beneficial to the behavior of their families
In the light of the results obtained, some corrective measures were proposed to schools, aimed at increasing the awareness of the importance of the right behavior in waste management by students and the application of good practices of recycling
Summary
SC consists of the sorting of different categories of waste by the users, who are made to feel responsible for the correct disposal of the waste they produce. The positive effects derived from the maximization of SC and the consequent reduction in waste generation are well-known: recycling of useful materials, resource conservation, energy production and recovery, reduction in toxic releases into the atmosphere and the ground (local impacts), and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (global impacts) [3,4]. Assessing how the waste produced within schools is managed is crucial. Instilling the right behavior in a child at school often has a positive impact on the attitude of their families and their community towards waste disposal
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