Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A Study on the Attitude of the Senior High School Students of Our Lady of Perpetual
Succor College in following the Zero Waste Policy for the School Year 2018 - 2019
by
Ferraz, Hans E.
Quibin, Hiroshi B.
De Guzman, Lyniana C.
March 2019
ii
ABSTRACT
This study is entitled "A Study on the Attitude of the Senior High School Students
of Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College in following the Zero Waste Policy for the
School Year 2018 - 2019". It was conducted to recognize the attitude of senior high
school students in following the zero waste policy in Our Lady of Perpetual Succor
College. By this research, the students would be able to follow the zero waste policy
easily. The researchers used interviews that are composed of five questions as their
instrument in order to gather data that will support the said study. The researchers also
used simple random sampling to choose the nineteen respondents from the sections of the
senior high school. The results revealed that most of the students are willing to follow the
zero waste policy; however, they encounter some difficulties in doing so. Moreover, the
students also had the right idea of what the zero waste policy is, but it did not match with
In conclusion, most of the respondents have observed that their fellow students do
not follow the zero waste policy, regardless of having the right idea of it. Furthermore,
the Senior High school students follow the zero waste policy willingly because the
students see the benefits of it, and they saw the policy as an instrument to promote
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
ABSTRACT............................................................................................................. ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................................................................... v
DEDICATION........................................................................................................ vi
Introduction................................................................................................. 1
Definition of Terms..................................................................................... 6
Synthesis..................................................................................................... 13
CHAPTER 3—METHODOLOGY....................................................................... 16
Research Design......................................................................................... 16
Research Locale......................................................................................... 16
Participants................................................................................................. 17
Instrument................................................................................................... 17
CHAPTER 4—RESULTS…................................................................................... 19
Policy………………………………………............................................... 24
CHAPTER 5—DISCUSSION................................................................................ 27
Summary...................................................................................................... 27
Findings....................................................................................................... 27
Conclusions.................................................................................................. 28
Implications.................................................................................................. 29
Recommendations........................................................................................ 30
Future Research................................................................................ 30
REFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 32
APPENDICES
A. Interview Questions................................................................................ 37
B. Cover Letter………................................................................................ 38
v
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, the researchers would like to thank our Almighty God for
giving them the knowledge, patience, and the will to do this research.
The researchers are grateful to everyone who gave academic, emotional, financial,
The researchers are especially thankful for the aspiring guidance, invaluably
constructive criticism and friendly advice of their research teacher, Ms. Romelyn A.
Alquisar, and panelists Mr. Gideon B. Canlas, Ms. Jasmine Mae Arjona, Mr. Jeeffcy
Arellano, and Ms. Nicole R. Luna during the duration of the study. They are sincerely
grateful to them for sharing their truthful and illuminating views on this thesis.
The researchers would also like to extend their gratitude to STEM 11-A, batch
Lastly, the researchers would like to express their warm thanks to all the
respondents who gave their time and effort in answering the questions in the interview.
vi
This thesis is the fruit of your teachings for the past five months.
You have bestowed us with knowledge wholeheartedly; we hope you grade these pages in
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
the Philippines (Senate Economic Planning Office, 2017). Wastes are unwanted
materials that were discarded after primary use, yet some could be recycled but most are
likely disposed into areas primarily into landfill sites. The Philippines has operated and
continues to operate numerous landfill sites, with each having a bitter history. One of
these sites is the Smokey Mountains, a large landfill once located in Tondo, Manila but
was closed two decades ago due to public outcry (Angeles, 2013). A similar scene
played out at the now-closed Payatas dumpsite in which a tragic landslide of dumped
garbage on claimed the lives of 218 people on July 10, 2000 (Peña, 2017). Furthermore,
Rañada (2015) stated that the Philippines has among the highest trash collection rates in
Southeast Asia and it‘s the world‘s 3rd biggest source of plastic leaking into the ocean.
The common denominator in these debacles was the lack of proper waste disposal
systems during that time. Also, being a third-world county, the production of these solid
population growth.
This is why the Philippines signed into law Republic Act No. 9003, which is
known as the "Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000" whose primary aim is
to address the growing problem on solid wastes of the country. As stated from the report
2
of the Senate Economic Planning Office, this provides a legal framework for country's
between two mountains; Antipolo and San Mateo. This makes Marikina a catch-basin for
floods during a typhoon, but despite their geographical condition, Marikina is still able to
maintain cleanliness throughout their city. In fact, ECOTECH (2013) named them to be
In relation to the abovementioned statement, Marikina City is one of the cities that
is able to conform to the practices of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of the
country. Marikina City has created numerous ―healthy city projects‖, which are defined
(2017) from Healthy Partners cited that Marikina initiated these various healthy city
projects called ―healthy places of key elemental settings‖, and one of these projects is the
Aside from being recognized as one of the cleanest cities, Marikina has also garnered
In order to participate and support the green programs of the city, Our Lady of
Perpetual Succor College, one of the largest schools in Marikina City, advocates and
promotes proper waste management through several programs, and one of which is called
the zero waste policy. Zero Waste International Alliance (2018) defines zero waste as
reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning, and with no
discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.‖ With
that thought, OLOPSC exhorts OLOPSCians to minimize their use of waste in order to
achieve cleanliness or ―zero waste‖. Though eco-friendly and recyclable alternatives are
being introduced in this policy, the main zero waste policy in OLOPSC when it comes to
The zero waste policy, as the main solution in reducing waste, is widely and
strictly implemented in OLOPSC. However, not everyone knows how the said policy
works or what its aims are. For instance, instead of bringing the trash home, a student
might throw their trash elsewhere or within nearby public establishments after an activity
statements are the reasons why it is the researchers‘ desire to determine how the senior
high school students really follow the zero waste policy program of OLOPSC.
The zero waste policy is widely known and implemented in Our Lady of
Perpetual Succor College. This policy was met by both praises and criticisms. Inside the
campus, one can easily observe how different students practice this policy; some follow it
religiously while some follow it when a teacher calls their attention. In this study, the
researchers identified the practices and behavior of students towards the said policy.
1. How do the senior high school students of OLOPSC practice waste management
OLOPSCian must have, but nowadays many lacks; responsibility, which is reflected
through the Zero Waste Policy of the school. This research aims to determine the attitude
of senior high school students in responding to the zero waste policy. Furthermore, it also
aims to identify and recognize the problems this policy is facing and to give suggestions
on addressing them.
The results of this study will be of great help to the senior high school students,
The Senior High School students will benefit from this study the most as the
data that will be gathered from this research will come from them. Therefore, whatever
findings this study will present will be suitable for them. Moreover, this study will help
Other OLOPSCians will also benefit from this study as it gives them an idea on
OLOPSC administrators and teachers will also benefit from this study as it
gives them an idea on the faulty areas of the zero waste policy and how to improve them.
The future researchers of studies related to this topic can use the information
presented in this research as additional literature, evidence, reference, or source for their
future investigations.
Aside from the people mentioned above, this research may also serve as a basis
for possible modifications of the zero waste policy in order to ensure its utmost
effectivity. The findings that will be presented from this study may also serve as a guide
The study mainly focused on the attitude of senior high school students in
responding to the zero waste policy in OLOPSC before and after an event or activity
done in school. The researchers conducted a thorough interview with the selected
respondents. Nineteen (19) respondents were chosen for this research using the simple
random sampling. The study was conducted in OLOPSC, Marikina City from January
In this study, 19 students who came from grades 11 and 12 served as the
respondents. The researchers selected the respondents according to the following criteria:
1) they must be a student in senior high school in OLOPSC; 2) they are knowledgeable
about the zero waste policy of OLOPSC; 3) they follow the zero waste policy because of
6
at least one of the following reasons: they are obligated to do it or they are following the
zero-waste policy willingly. The research was conducted in OLOPSC since the
DEFINITION OF TERMS
The following terms are defined based on how they will be used in the study:
Bring home your trash policy is a policy under the zero waste policy of
OLOPSC that requires a student to bring his/her produced trash from school to
his/her home.
Landfill sites are sites for the disposal of waste materials by dumping.
Recovery is the act of preparing disregarded items for their next use.
Republic Act No. 9003 is an act providing for an ecological solid waste
Solid waste management refers to the process of collecting and treating solid
wastes.
CHAPTER II
This research focused on determining the attitude of senior high school students in
following the zero waste policy by understanding how the students practice and respond
to the said policy. Related literatures and studies are gathered in this chapter to serve as
evidence and to uphold the credibility of this paper. As the world constantly and
continuously develops, waste materials are produced and left. Tsuneishi Kamtechs
Corporation (n.d.) cites the Waste Disposal Law of Japan which defines waste as
―garbage, bulky waste, cinders, sludge, excreta, waste oil, waste acid, waste alkali,
animal corpses, and other filth or useless things all of which are liquid or solid.‖
considered to be ―waste‖.
4 Waste Removals (2016) in their article entitled ―There are 5 types of waste, do
you know them all?‖ classifies waste into five: liquid waste, solid rubbish, organic waste,
recyclable rubbish and hazardous waste. However, this study only focuses on recyclable
rubbish, which is solid in nature, and solid rubbish. Solid rubbish are waste items that
can be found in a household. These include plastic waste, paper/card waste, tins and
metals, and ceramics and glass. Recyclable rubbish, on the other hand, are basically
waste items that can be used again. Some solid rubbish is also considered as recyclable
Historically, waste production was taken care off by dumping either into unused
land areas (swamps) or into rivers, as mentioned by Circular Economy Asia (2017). Up to
this day, waste is being disposed of in this way. Based from the outcomes from the
reports about the Smokey Mountain outcry (Angeles, 2013) and the Payatas dumpsite
tragedy (Peña, 2017), the researchers are able to deduce that the waste disposal systems
which are currently present in the country are very faulty. One of the waste disposal
systems used by the country is the aforementioned one; landfills. Advanced Disposal
(n.d.) defines landfills as structures built into or on top of the ground, in which trash is
separated from the area around it. Smokey Mountain is considered to be a landfill. Not to
be confused with a dump, in which the Payatas dumpsite falls under. A dump, on the
other hand, is merely an open hole where trash is literally ―dumped‖. Unlike landfills,
Another type of disposal method is incineration. In this method, solid wastes are
burned at high temperatures so as to convert them into residue and gaseous products.
Though banned in the Philippines under the Philippine Clean Air Act and the Ecological
Solid Waste Management Act, Stinus-Cabugon (2018) in her article entitled ―Incineration
is still a bad idea‖ from The Manila Times reports that peddlers of incinerators
(reportedly Korean and Japanese) are busy approaching local government officials to
convince them that incineration is the solution to the garbage problem. In an interview
with environmental scientist Jorge Emmanuel, Geronimo (2017) found that these
peddlers are able to sell the illegal incinerators under the guise of being a ―waste-to-
energy‖ converter.
10
The Philippines practices another type of waste disposal; recovery and recycling.
Recovery is the act of preparing disregarded items for their next use. Not to be confused
with recycling, which pertains to the conversion of waste products to new ones. These
methods of waste disposal are done in what is known as a ―materials recovery facility.‖
These facilities are designed in order to segregate and prepare recyclable materials in
order to gain profit. ―With the MRF [materials recovery facility], we are able to earn
interview with Inquirer (2012). Despite profitable and eco-friendly perks, the recovery
and recycling method of waste disposal aren‘t as widely used as landfills. This is because
of the fact that the use of landfills are cost-efficient, meaning they save more time, effort,
Having no fixed way of managing solid waste, the concept of zero waste is
movement to reduce the amount one consumes and consequently throws away.‖ Simply
said, the philosophy of zero waste aims to avoid the production of materials that can only
be used once. A close examination of this definition made the researchers realize that the
philosophy of zero waste is nearly impossible to fulfill since almost all materials
produced can only be used once. An example of this material is prevalent in the
Philippines alone; the packaging used in most Philippine supermarkets is made with
paper, which can only be used once. Philippine fast-food establishments still use
disposable sachets to contain their condiments. Even the use of plastic spoons and forks
In addition, zero waste alternatives are being introduced in the Philippines, but
some at an expensive price. Eco bags, for example, are sold at thirty-five (35) to forty
(40) pesos per piece (SM Prime, 2011) if a customer opts for a sustainable option, but is
of course intimidated by the price. Metal straws are also being introduced, but are priced
for at least fifty (50) pesos per piece; depending on the type of straw you want (Sanchez,
2018). The price range of these alternatives are discouraging to people as consumers
since they don‘t see these alternatives as options that uphold zero waste, but as a waste of
money instead.
Besides the rather pricey alternatives, the concept of zero waste isn‘t fully
embraced because people simply lack the discipline to maintain their surroundings clean,
by means of this policy. This fact is reinforced in the article of Basierto (2014) entitled
―Throwing Garbage Anywhere: A Bad Habit‖, in which he has stated that ―Many
campaigns and actions have been conducted but still the problems are there. One of these
article entitled ―The Truth behind Zero Waste: The Good, The Bad, and The Privilege‖,
Peters (2018) shared similar sentiments: ―I saw first-hand that waste-free living is nearly
impossible if one wasn't extremely diligent and privileged with free time to do so in the
first place.‖ This goes to show that even if affordable alternatives in going zero waste
were to be introduced, it still wouldn‘t work if people are still undisciplined or not
diligent.
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zero waste policy. One of which is Lina Praeda-Baez, a staff aide for Santa Clara City‘s
environmental programs who said ―We have always had an education-first approach. We
don‘t like forcing people, we like educating people and hoping they change.‖ as noted by
Vashist (2018) in her article entitled ―Adopting Zero Waste: Is individual responsibility
enough for change?‖. Of course, the expected results of the zero waste policy won‘t be
good if people were forced to do this. Rather, they must equipped with sufficient
knowledge in order to perform the policy on their own, without anyone telling them what
to do.
Moreover, there are also a number of personalities who were able to fully
embrace the concept of zero waste. One of which is Bea Johnson, who, according to an
article entitled ―Bea Johnson: Queen of Zero Waste‖ by O‘Byrne (2017), only fits her
family‘s annual waste in a tiny mason jar. Now a bestselling author of ―Zero Waste
Home‖ and a world-renowned speaker from over 60 countries, Johnson reiterates her
Another individual worth mentioning who lives by the philosophy of zero waste is
Charis Chang. Chang, in her article entitled ―What I learned from trying to live ‗zero
waste‘ for a year‖, expressed her was astonishment by the little jar with rubbish inside
that Bea Johnson‘s family accumulated in just a year. Inspired, she gave the zero waste
lifestyle a try and found out it‘s not actually that hard and it‘s cheaper than what the
others think. After a year, she admitted that she still creates rubbish but her household
waste has decreased dramatically and is improving all the time when she decided to try
Bea Johnson‘s tip of living with zero waste. Based on the two accounts, the researchers
realized that indeed the philosophy of zero waste in nearly impossible to fulfill but to live
without producing any waste whatsoever is very much possible and actually easy.
Back in the Philippine setting, public officials, local government units, as well as
several non-government organizations continue to strive for this country to live waste-
free as much as possible despite having pricey alternatives and the lack of discipline of
Filipinos. In light of the Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste
Management Act of 2000, ―various cities and towns in the Philippines have shown
leadership in implementing the said law, hoping to transform into a zero-waste city‖
(Alegado & Grate, 2019). This shows how a collective effort from the various sectors of
Synthesis
In this study, ―A Study on the Attitude of the Senior High School Students of Our
Lady of Perpetual Succor College in responding to the Zero Waste Policy in terms of its
Trash Collection for the School Year 2018 - 2019‖, the researchers had gathered related
14
literatures and studies as connections and relations to factually prove and support this
study. First is the definition of waste as given by Tsuneishi Kamtechs Corporation (n.d.)
in which they got from the Waste Disposal Law of Japan. It described the things that are
to be considered as ―wastes‖. The next one is the five types of wastes wherein, according
to an article by 4 Waste Disposals, are liquid waste, solid rubbish, organic waste,
recyclable rubbish, and hazardous waste. Only recyclable and solid rubbish are focused
on this study. Another related literature is a brief history of waste disposal (Circular
Economy Asia, 2017) in which the researchers found out that the disposal systems before
are still being used today. One of which is through landfills, which basically are sites for
solid wastes are burned at high temperatures so as to convert them into residue and
gaseous products. It is important to note that incineration is illegal in the Philippines, but
is still used to dispose waste anyway under the guise of being a ―waste-to-energy‖
respective articles. The third waste disposal system mentioned is by recovery and
recycling. Recovery refers to the act of preparing disregarded items for their next use,
while recycling pertains to the conversion of waste products to new ones. Both are used
in materials recovery facilities which are profitable and eco-friendly, but not as used as
landfills. These paved the way for the introduction of the concept of zero waste in the
Philippines, which O‘Connor (2018) defined as ―a movement to reduce the amount one
consumes and consequently throws away.‖ Seemingly impossible to fulfill, zero waste is
not practiced by some because of its pricey alternatives as taken from SM Prime (2011)
and Sanchez (2018), and because of people‘s lack of discipline in maintaining their
15
surroundings clean as Basierto (2014) and Peters (2018) found. However, environmental
advocates, such as Praeda-Baez from the article of Vashist (2018), continue to campaign
for the zero waste policy by equipping the public with sufficient knowledge on how to
properly perform it. Regardless of the aforementioned reasons as to why the zero waste
(O‘Byrne, 2017) and Chang (Chang, 2017) who actually live successfully with a zero-
waste lifestyle. Locally, the zero waste policy is little by little implemented by the
various sectors of the Philippines, which include the public officials, LGU‘s and NGO‘s
(Alegado & Grate, 2019). These related studies and literatures connect greatly to this
study because it involves most of the aspects included in the study and, from the
background and overview researched, provides possible answers for the study‘s main
problem.
16
CHAPTER III
Research Design
This study made use of a research method called "phenomenology." This method
individuals. The Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching (n.d.) simply defines
method to use since this method is designed to maximize the extent of the information
collected, therefore upholding the accuracy and authenticity of the study which in turn
will yield accurate and authentic results as well. This study mainly focused on the zero
waste policy, being the "phenomenon", and how senior high school OLOPSCians
practice and behave towards it. In other words, phenomenology was all about gathering
data about a lived phenomenon from some individuals who experienced it, which were
then analyzed and collated by the researchers in order to understand or describe the
essence of that phenomenon. The researchers conducted interviews to perform the said
method.
Research Locale
The study was done in Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College, an educational
institution located in Concepcion, Marikina City. OLOPSC offers education from the
basic until the tertiary level. Approximately 5000 students study annually in this school,
with 1500 coming from the secondary level. The study was conducted in OLOPSC since
17
the researchers themselves were from the senior high school department of the school.
Furthermore, the target population of the researchers was senior high school students who
were knowledgeable and were practitioners of the zero waste policy. OLOPSC is known
to be the largest school in Marikina in terms of population size, making its students a
Participants
The participants in the study included nineteen (19) Senior High School students
for the school year 2018-2019, with their ages ranging from sixteen (16) to nineteen (19)
years old, regardless of their genders. The selection of the participants made use of the
Simple Random Sampling approach, or SRS. An SRS was performed for every section
in the senior high school, which was nineteen (19) in total, regardless of their strands and
grade level. A student was randomly selected per section to be interviewed, therefore
ending up with nineteen (19) interviewees coming from the strands ABM, HUMSS, and
STEM in grades 11 and 12. The participants were selected from the senior high school
department since the study focused on them who also happened to be practitioners of the
Research Instrument
The research utilized interviews in conducting the study. It was the most
collect unbiased results and findings from the participants themselves. Interviews were
generally easier for the respondent, especially if what are sought are opinions or
impressions. The interview sessions served as a window to reach people's insights and
18
throughout the interviewing process. The researchers used questions that were open-
ended which gave the respondents an opportunity to answer based on their opinions or
teacher adviser for the proper conduction of interviews needed for the study. The
interviews were conducted during dismissal time, which depended on the availability of
the respondents. The researchers waited by the chosen respondent's door until he/she was
dismissed. Once dismissed, the researchers interviewed the chosen respondent for about
five (5) to ten (10) minutes. Afterwards, the researchers gathered the respondents'
answers for each question and started to analyze and code them in order to properly study
CHAPTER IV
This chapter presents the interview, interpretation, and analysis of the attitude of the
Senior High School students of Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College in following the
The first aspect considered in this study dealt with the prior knowledge or idea/s
Most of the respondents‘ answers, though are varied, followed a main theme; the
zero waste policy, or the implementation of it, keeps the campus free from trash as much
as possible. A respondent said, ―As the name connotes, zero waste, meaning you are
maintaining school premises zero or free from waste or garbage.‖ It can be deduced that
the senior high school students saw the zero waste policy as a means in order to maintain
cleanliness inside the school campus by avoiding the production of waste. Students are
oriented on their first days of classes about this policy, and are re-oriented again during
intersection competitions since following the zero waste policy is most of the time part of
each contest‘s mechanics; this means to say that it is just right that the respondents‘ prior
This finding of the study corroborates with the article by O‘Connor (2018). In the
article, she defined zero waste as a movement to reduce the amount one consumes and
20
O‘Connor‘s and the students‘ ideas align. The term alone, ―zero waste‖ need not much
description; the name basically speaks for itself, which is the reason it is no wonder that
The second point considered in this study dealt with the observation/s that the
Most of the respondents thought of the Zero Waste policy as a good idea to lessen
the waste production in our school, but based on their observations, there are students
who aren‘t following the said policy. Respondents said, ―Some students are not
following the zero waste policy although they are obliged to follow; they just throw their
trash near the vicinity of OLOPSC,‖ and ―Some people think it’s a wrong solution since
they still have to throw their trashes outside the campus and trashes will still be sent to
landfills.‖ It can be deduced that some students think of the policy as a bad solution
because it only allows the students to relocate their trash around the school campus
instead of bringing it home since they're thinking that those trashes will also be brought
to the landfills.
This finding of the study corroborates with the article of Basierto (2014). In this
nowadays. Different environmental campaigns and actions have been conducted but still,
the problems are there. One of these problems that is evidently seen everywhere is
21
anywhere by undisciplined people.‖ The idea of Basierto matches with that of the
students. Although there are a lot of sustainable programs that OLOPSC conducts, the
zero waste policy included, the problem in waste disposal will not be solved as long as
the wrong mindset that the trashes a student produces will end up in a landfill, whether or
not it is brought home. It is also a matter of being disciplined enough, as Basierto found,
The Parallelism of the Students’ Prior Knowledge to their Observations of the Zero
Waste Policy
The third aspect considered in this study dealt whether or not the prior knowledge
the respondents had regarding the zero waste policy matched with their observations.
The respondents answered these questions based on their answers from the first
two questions; their prior ideas regarding the zero waste policy, and what they have
actually seen or observed in the implementation of the said policy. Though their claims
are varied, most of the respondents claim that their ideas regarding the zero waste policy
do not correspond with what they have actually observed. One of the respondents said,
"Unfortunately it does not match since the objective or the main goal of the policy is not
obtained.‖ It can be deduced that the senior high school students saw inadequacies in the
zero waste policy; this is why the objective of the said policy, which is maintaining the
cleanliness of the school premises, is not achieved. The students have observed that the
intention of the zero waste policy is not firmly executed for the reason that the attitude of
22
the students is that they don‘t comply with the zero waste policy, as told by another
respondent: ―For me, my own thoughts does not match my observation on zero waste
policy because most of the students are not willingly doing it for them to preserve our
This finding of the study corroborates with the article by Peters (2018). In the
article, she mentioned that she saw first-hand that waste-free living is nearly impossible if
one wasn't extremely diligent and privileged with free time to do so in the first place.
What Peters found can be linked to what is observed in the implementation of the zero
waste policy in the school, and how it does not match the students‘ prior knowledge of it.
Though they are privileged with time, no matter how short or long, fulfilling the objective
of the zero waste policy is nearly impossible to be done if the students aren't diligent or
persistent enough in minimizing waste production as much as possible, which is the key
in maintaining the school campus clean. In other words, the respondents‘ ideas of the
zero waste policy don‘t correspond to what they have observed because the policy‘s main
objective, which is to keep the school premises clean, is not fulfilled since the students
The fourth question considered in this study dealt with how the respondents
perform the Zero Waste Policy, whether they were willing or obligated to follow the said
policy.
23
exact, were willing to follow the policy. A respondent said, ―I’m following this policy
willingly because I thought that animals and people are going to suffer if we are not
going to do this policy willingly.‖ With the idea of zero waste as an act of reducing of
waste materials that could affect the environment, it can be deduced that the senior high
school students are concerned with our environment and are willing to make a change, in
order to save the environment they are in, which is why they take small steps by
following the Zero Waste Policy in school willingly. ―It became a habit,‖ another
respondent stated about following the zero waste policy. It can be inferred that the
students were able to apply the practices of the Zero Waste Policy not only inside the
school‘s premises but also outside the campus since it became a habit or a routine for
some.
This finding of the study connects with the article written by Vashist (2018). In
the article, Vashist noted Praeda-Baez‘s sentiments about the zero waste policy who said
that ―we don‘t like forcing people, we like educating people and hoping they change.‖ In
relation with the OLOPSCian zero waste policy, though the students have been educated
and oriented about the policy, how to do it, and its importance, it is ultimately up to the
students themselves if they will follow this willingly as a small step in saving the
environment which in time can turn into a habit; or, they could follow this policy because
The final aspect considered for this study is whether the students found the zero
waste policy easy or difficult to do. If it was easy for them, they would be asked what
made the policy easy for them; if it was difficult, they would be asked how they handled
the difficulties they faced. Twelve out of the nineteen respondents said that they
encountered difficulties in following the zero waste policy, and each provided different
ways in coping with these difficulties. In the context of bringing home one‘s trash, which
is a sub-policy of the zero waste policy, a respondent said, ―Yes, I’m having difficulties in
bringing the trash because some garbage are huge like cartons, cardboard, and
newspaper that are used during competitions.‖ The respondent faced these difficulties
by saying that, ―We share the trash to my classmates so that I won't have difficulty
bringing these home.‖ It can be deduced that the students overcame the difficulties that
they encountered in conforming to the zero waste policy by means of a class effort. In
other words, every student cooperates in their particular class or section in order to
properly perform the zero waste policy. The value of cooperation and unity has ever
since been illustrated during the monthly intersection competitions OLOPSC holds; by
way of integrating the zero waste policy in the competitions that fall under the field of
performing arts (speech choir, interpretative dance, etc.) through the bring home your
trash policy, the students‘ difficulties become eased in following the policy and as a
bonus, they also become united as a class in maintaining their classroom clean.
The finding stated above corroborates with the article of Alegado and Grate
(2019). They reported that in lieu of the Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid
Waste Management Act of 2000, various cities and towns in the Philippines have shown
25
leadership in implementing the said law, hoping to transform into a zero-waste city. The
collected efforts of the officials of these cities, the local government units, as well as
waste one mirror that of the efforts an OLOPSCian class exerts in maintaining their
which it‘s part of the contest‘s criteria. A goal is difficult to achieve if only one will
work towards the achievement of the said goal; however, if each person would work
towards that common goal, in this case by maintaining the cleanliness of the environment
by following the zero waste policy, the goal would surely be fulfilled, whether it may be
an ordinary citizen who cooperates with other citizens within a governing body for that
goal, or an OLOPSCian student who cooperates with his or her classmates in maintaining
Another way of coping with the difficulties of doing the zero waste policy is by
bringing your own reusable containers. A respondent said, ―Yes, I do find it difficult to
follow because like I said earlier, plastics and other materials made from plastics, is
making our life easy, and much more accessible. And yeah, for me we can do little things
starting to bring – we may start bringing our own containers.‖ The respondent may have
formulated their answer in the context of the senior high school canteen, wherein only
disposable utensils and paper plates are available. However, some stalls have real plates,
but still make use of plastic spoons and forks. Though there are trash cans that belong to
each specific stall in order to ensure proper waste segregation and the cleanliness of the
canteen, the concept of being ―zero waste‖ however isn‘t fulfilled since trash is still being
produced.
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This finding of the study corroborates with the article by Sanchez (2018). She
showcased the metal straw; an alternative for disposable straws. Though they are eco-
friendly, metal straws are rather pricey, with the minimum price of fifty (50) pesos per
piece based on her article. In relation to the abovementioned finding, it can be inferred
that the canteen stalls opt for one-use utensils because it is cheaper since high-quality
silverware is expensive. Moreover, the use of disposables also lessens the employees‘
dishwashing load. This is why in order to abide by the zero waste policy without
difficulty despite the biodegradability of utensils and plates in the canteen, students
should be encouraged to bring their own reusable containers and a set of spoon or fork as
well.
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CHAPTER V
Summary
This study aimed to understand the attitude of the senior high school students of
Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College in following to the Zero Waste Policy in terms of
its trash collection for the school year 2018 – 2019. It also aimed to give suggestions,
based on the findings, to help senior high school students in properly following the zero
waste policy.
The study is a qualitative type of research with interviews as the main instrument
since the study made use of a phenomenological design. The researchers interviewed
nineteen (19) students from the nineteen (19) sections of grade 11 to 12 for the school
Findings
Based on the data provided by the respondents, the researchers found out the following:
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1. The senior high school students of OLOPSC practice waste management in order
a. Understanding what the zero waste policy is. The researchers found out that
the students had the right idea as to what the zero waste policy is all about.
observation is that instead of bringing home one‘s own trash, students were
just relocating their trash around the school‘s vicinity. In order to avoid this,
c. Making use of zero waste alternatives, such as the use of recyclable materials
during contests and bringing reusable containers and a set of spoon and fork
when eating in order to avoid using the disposable utensils offered by the
order to achieve Zero Waste out of their own will. Though they willingly follow
the zero waste policy, they encounter difficulties in following it, which
Conclusions
1. The senior high school students had the right idea of what the zero waste policy is.
29
2. The senior high school students have observed that their fellow students do not
3. The ideas of senior high school students regarding the zero waste policy aren‘t
4. The zero waste policy is followed willingly by senior high school students.
5. Difficulties are encountered by the senior high school students in following the zero
waste policy; nevertheless, they managed to cope with these difficulties by bringing their
competitions, students distribute the trashes accumulated within their class equally so as
Implications
The Zero Waste Policy‘s programs and practices, including the school-wide known Bring
Home Your Trash policy, will always be implemented. This study would help the senior
high school students to gain a deeper understanding of what the zero waste policy is, its
sub-policies, its importance, and how it should be followed. Besides the students, the
teachers and administrators will also benefit from this study. With this study, school
administrators can easily identify the areas needing improvement in the implementation
of the zero waste policy. On the other hand, teachers would be guided by this study on
maintaining the willing attitude of their students in observing the zero waste policy.
30
Recommendations
Practical Application
1. Students who only follow this policy out of obligation must understand that there is
more to the policy than just bringing home their own trash.
2. The school may create other innovative ways in managing trashes aside from
bringing home the trash in order for the students to be encouraged more in doing the zero
waste policy.
3. The school should strengthen the idea of their zero waste policy by giving incentives
and recognition to the students who wholeheartedly follow the said policy.
4. Students who struggle in following the zero waste policy may refer to the students‘
ways of coping with these struggles as presented in the fourth chapter, or they may think
of their own ways or strategies that would make the zero waste policy easy for them to
follow.
5. School administrators may use this study as a reference if they ever consider
Future Research
1. Broaden the topic by including the junior high school students in the study in order to
2. Modify the topic in such a way that it only focuses on the measures taken in
following the zero waste policy in the school canteen because as mentioned before, only
4. Future researchers should not limit themselves in only studying the students‘
5. Now that a study on the attitude in following the zero waste policy is done, future
researchers should consider conducting a study on the effectiveness of the zero waste
policy.
32
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APPENDICES
37
Appendix A
Interview Questions
Appendix B
Cover Letter
Sincerely yours,
David Timothy B. De Guzman Christian Dennis M. Yap
Hans E. Ferraz Christine Mae D. Bacus
Hiroshi B. Quibin Lyniana C. De Guzman
Danielle Cheri C. Figueroa