Appropriate management of common solid waste through an environmental education program at the Loreto Educational Unit, Esmeraldas
Keywords:
environmental education; common solid waste management; role of the school communityAbstract
Introduction: This work aims to develop an environmental education program through a pedagogical proposal to improve solid waste management in an educational unit, promoting awareness and responsible practices in the educational community. Materials and methods: The research is exploratory descriptive with a mixed approach, using surveys to collect, analyze and link quantitative and qualitative data. 35 students, 5 teachers and 4 administrative directors of the Loreto Educational Unit participated. Results: The results show that 71.4% of students know which waste can be recycled and 94.3% consider it important to reduce the amount of waste generated, although 57.1% do not separate waste at home and 65.7% do not participate in school recycling activities. 60% of teachers incorporate environmental education topics in their classes and collaborate in waste management projects, but only 40% use specific educational materials on the subject. Discussion: 75% of school principals acknowledge the existence of a formal environmental education program, although only 25% consider current resources for waste management to be sufficient and an equal percentage report regular recycling activities. Conclusions: It is concluded that the implementation of the environmental education program is feasible and essential to develop a solid ecological awareness and promote responsible practices in waste management.
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