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Assessment of Students' Perception and Attitude Towards Solid Waste Management in University of Abuja
Assessment of Students' Perception and Attitude Towards Solid Waste Management in University of Abuja
Assessment of Students' Perception and Attitude Towards Solid Waste Management in University of Abuja
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Enumah Amarachukwu, Abdullahi Mohammed Evuti*, Kamoru Adio Salam and Samuel Shamaye
Silas**
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Abuja, Nigeria
**Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Calabar, Nigeria
*Corresponding Author: mohammed.evuti@uniabuja.edu.ng, evutimohd@yahoo.com
Abstract
This study assessed students' perception and attitude towards solid waste management in University of Abuja
Main Campus. A descriptive survey methodology was used to collect the data. This was done by direct
observation and use of structured and semi-structured questionnaire on students' views and ideas of waste
generation, collection, sorting and disposal. Eight (8) faculties consisting of Engineering, Medicine,
Agriculture, Science, Management Science, Law, Art, Veterinary Medicine and hostels (Male and Female) in
the University Main Campus were surveyed and a descriptive statistic was used for the data analysis.
Students' attitude on waste disposal showed that, 45.8% of the respondent dispose solid waste in waste bin,
18.7% dispose in dump site, 11.0% dispose in nearby gutter, 9.0% dispose in all of the options, 8.4% dispose
by the road side, 4.5% dispose in open space, while 2.6% dispose behind the department/faculty. Students'
perception on waste segregation showed that 3.9% of the respondent separated solid waste into two
components before disposing off, 0.7% separated into three components, 1.3% separated into four
components, 0% separated into five and six components while 94.2% responded that they do not separate
their solid waste before disposing off. In addition, 10.3% responded to positive solid waste sorting while
89.7% responded negative. In conclusion, there is low level of awareness and knowledge about solid waste
management by the students which certainly contributes to the challenges faced in waste management of the
University of Abuja Main campus.
Key words: Solid waste, management, students perception, attitude, University, Survey
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Abuja Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 1, Issue 1
Waste generation and poor disposal attitude have 2.0 Materials and Methods
become more rampart over the past decades. These A descriptive survey research method where direct
problems have resulted into environmental observation and use of structured and semi-
degradation and resource depletion and lead to structured questionnaire and interview were used for
negative impact on public health (Diana & Saul, data collection. The student's views and ideas about
2018). waste generation, collection, disposal and
management from the university were obtained via
Human waste generation is unavoidable but can be
the use of questionnaires.
managed by proper handling, storage, collection,
The questionnaire contains 20 questions that focused
and disposal. Quality of the environment depends on
on knowledge of what component of waste are
the way waste is being managed (Bala and
generated, how they are sorted and segregated, how
Abdullahi, 2010; Starovoytova and Namango,
distance affects waste disposal, effective methods of
2018). However, the management of waste of a
collection and waste disposal, poor waste disposal
particular place depends on the perception and
methods, health impacts of poor waste disposals,
attitude of the dwellers and visitors (Mohammed et
environmental pollution from improper waste
al., 2017).
disposal and challenges associated with open dump
Perception according to Mohammed et al., (2017), is
sites among others.
the basic process through which human beings
Eight (8) faculties (Engineering, Medicine,
acquire knowledge of the world via our sense organs
Agriculture, Science, Management Science, Law,
which enable responses to external stimulation. Our
Art, Veterinary Medicine) and hostels (Male and
resources, knowledge, beliefs, values and norms
Female) in the university main campus were selected
influence our perceptions which can be created
due to the high population density and presence of
without experience and knowledge (Mohammed et
open waste dump site in the area. These selected
al., 2017).
areas were visited to grant the researcher the
Attitude as explained by Mohammed et al., (2017)
opportunity to find out how wastes are generated and
refers to obtaining a set of values and feelings of
disposed. Data collection occurred in the period of
concern for the environment and the motivation for
August to September 2018 where a hundred and
active participation in environmental improvement
fifty-five (155) questionnaires were administered to
and protection. Environmental attitude influences
one hundred and fifty-five (155) selected individuals
pro-environmental action if there is a provision of
through simple random sampling technique (cluster,
a good understanding of the set beliefs, interest and
purposive, stratified, systematic and accidental
rules towards environmental management are well
sampling technique).
perceived and practiced.
Data collection was done via face to face interview
University campus is a subset of a typical
with questionnaire containing both open-ended and
environment and hence University of Abuja Main
close-ended questions. The data collected was
campus was used as a case study to investigate the
analysed using Statistical Package for the Social
effect of students' perception on waste management.
Science (SPSS) version 22.0. The data collected was
University of Abuja main campus contains student
quantitatively summarised using median and
accommodation, teaching and research facilities,
interquartile range while categorical variables were
and other leisure activities. The University of Abuja
also summarised using frequencies and percentages.
main campus lacks efficient waste collection
Tables and charts were used to represent the results
techniques. This is further evidenced by the
obtained. Individual consent was obtained from the
increasing dumpsites and abandoned wastes and
respondents before administering the questionnaires.
deposit around different faculties, streets, market
and open places in hostel areas. Several approaches
such as engineering, economic, environmental, 3.0 Results and Discussion
scientific are commonly used to address waste Waste management study has been possible from the
disposal problems. It is therefore, interesting to use of several approaches such as engineering,
know the contribution of students' perception economic, environmental, scientific and
(behavioural approach) to waste disposal behavioural. However, this study seeks to explore the
management of the University (Enumah et al., behavioural perspective of students on how their
2020). management of waste is closely aligned to their
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Abuja Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 1, Issue 1
attitude and behaviour. The perception of individual 3.2 Students' Attitude Towards Solid Waste
is influenced by past experience and present view Disposal
point, conditioned by values, moods, socials Waste disposal in an environmentally sustainable
situations and individual expectation (Kaoje et al., manner is an important part of waste management
2015). Structured questionnaire was used to collect aside source separation, storage, collection and
organised data based on the perception and attitude transportation (Burntley, 2007). Figure 2, shows that
of the students towards solid waste management 45.8% of the respondent dispose solid waste in waste
(Lakshmi, 2018). The data collected was tabulated bin, 18.7% dispose in dump site, 11.0% dispose in
and analysed. nearby gutter, 9.0% dispose solid waste in all of the
options, 8.4% dispose by the road side, 4.5% dispose
3.1 Components of Solid Waste Generated in open space, while 2.6% dispose behind the
Within University of Abuja Main department/faculty. This result is in agreement with
Campus findings of Momoh and Oladebey (2010), on study
Solid wastes here refer to all non-liquid waste of solid waste disposal. In their study, they
excluding excreta (Coker, et al., 2016). The established that disposal of solid waste includes
components of solid waste identified in University dumping of waste in gutters, drains, by roadside,
of Abuja main campus comprised of papers; unauthorized dumping sites and stream channels
plastics; metals; glass; food waste; e-waste and during raining season and burning of wastes on
others which conforms to findings of Tiew et al. unapproved dumping sites during the dry season.
(2013). The results of the survey in Figure 1, showed The result also identified that waste collection bin is
that 31.6% of the respondent indicated paper, 27.1% the major method of waste collection in the
indicated combination of solid waste, 16.1% university of Abuja Main Campus as such most
indicated food waste, 14.2% indicated plastics, students (45.8%) dispose their wastes in available
3.2% indicated e-waste, 2.6% indicated metals, waste bins while the least (2.6%) dispose off their
2.6% indicated cloth, 1.3% indicated glass, while waste at the back of departments or faculties as
1.3% indicated wood. These results show that paper shown in Figure 2. This indicates that University of
waste is the most dominant component of solid Abuja students' perception towards waste disposal is
waste generated (31.6%) in the university of Abuja good. In municipality, waste collection is majorly
main campus. This agrees with the result of via waste bins (Felix et al., 2012). However,
Starovoytova and Namango (2018), where he Strovoytova and Namango (2018) reported that
established that, papers waste accounted for the despite numbers of waste bin in campus, significant
dominant component of solid waste in university amount of solid waste is still dumped in open space;
campuses. The prevalence of paper waste is as gutter and roadside. This according to them is as a
result of academic activities such as examination, result of poor attitude towards waste management by
seminar, quiz, letter, course forms, student files etc. residents (students, workers and visitors) on campus.
which are activities that usually occur in a This negative attitude can be attributed to social
University environment. cultural barriers to effective waste management
reported Strovoytova and Namango (2018). Al-
Khatib et al. (2009) attributed the indiscriminate
disposal of solid waste to the following cause: lack of
social-pressure to-prevent littering; absence of
realistic-penalties or consistent-enforcement; and
lack of knowledge of the-environmental-effects of
littering while McAllister, 2015, attributed the cause
to the number of available waste-collection-bins on
campus. Lack of knowledge on waste management
affects the attitude of students towards waste
disposal and has led to lack of usage of waste bins by
some students on campus (Ambrinet al., 2018).
Figure 1: Components of solid waste generated
within University of Abuja main campus
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Abuja Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 1, Issue 1
Figure 2: Solid waste disposal in University o Figure 3: Solid waste segregation in University
Abuja main campus of Abuja Main Campus
3.4 Solid Waste Sorting
3.3 Students' Perception Towards Solid Solid waste sorting as shown in Figure 4, was
Waste Segregation observed to be at a minimal level in University of
Figure 3 shows the response of the students at Abuja. 10.3% responded positively to solid waste
University of Abuja Main campus on solid waste sorting while 89.7% responded negative. Felix et al.
segregation. The result of the survey shows 3.9% of (2012) reported that sorting of solid waste is a major
the respondent agreed that solid waste is separated challenge in Africa as solid wastes are rarely or never
into two components for disposal into the bin, 0.7% sorted from the point of generation. In their research,
agreed that solid waste is separated into three they established that the lack of sorting was as a result
components, 1.3% agreed that solid waste is of lack of knowledge of waste sorting as 73.7% of
separated into four components, 0% agreed that their respondents have no knowledge of waste
solid waste is separated into five and six components sorting in thirty questionnaires administered in
while 94.2% agreed that solid waste is not separated Ghana city. While Coker et al. (2016), in their
into components. The result suggested that residents research on solid waste management practice at
in the university of Abuja main campus have poor Covenant University in Nigeria reported that sorting
knowledge of waste segregation before disposal as a of solid waste was carried out at dumpsite by
component of waste management. Ambrin et al. scavenger. According to report by Bernardo (2008)
(2018), established that the level of knowledge in a research conducted in Manila, Philippians on
affects people's attitude towards waste disposal. And solid waste management, the survey showed that less
this is applicable to students as indicated in the result than 12% of household sort their waste before
of this study. disposal.
Our knowledge, resources, beliefs, values and norms
according to Mariwah et al. (2010) influence our
perception and this perception can be formed
without experience and knowledge of the persons
and can be influence by the environment these
persons find themselves and their orientations
(Strovoytova and Namango, 2018). However, from
Mariwah et al., 2010 and Strovoytova and Namango
(2018), it can be deduced in Figure 3 that the poor
knowledge of waste separation has an influence on
the perception of students and has greatly been
expressed from the attitude of the students on waste Figure 4: Response on solid waste sorting in
separation before disposal. University of Abuja main campus
3.5 Management of solid waste generated in
University of Abuja Main Campus
Figure 5 shows the response on management of solid
waste generated within the university main campus.
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Abuja Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 1, Issue 1
As can be seen in the figure 5, 83.3% of the reflected by the students' perception and attitude. The
respondents agreed that the waste management students demonstrated insufficient knowledge about
practice is by disposal to the dumpsite while 16.7% solid waste management because their exposure to
of respondents are of the opinion that they have no activities inclined to environment was also
idea of what happens to the waste generated in insufficient. However, there could be behavioural
University of Abuja. Further investigation showed adjustment that may occur due to attitudinal
that 75.0% of the respondent indicated that waste is transformation from sufficient and effective
taking to Gwagwalada dumpsite once it is collected awareness on waste management.
from the university main campus while 25.5% of the Acknowledgement
respondent indicated they have no idea of the final Our sincere appreciation to the students of
destination of the waste. The results of the survey University of Abuja Main Campus for facilitating
showed that the dominant waste management data collection and being kind to participate.
practice in the university is from generation to
dumpsite (Elmabrouk, 2009). However, the References
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4.0 Conclusion
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Abuja Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 1, Issue 1
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Abuja Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 1, Issue 1
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Abuja Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 1, Issue 1
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