ASSESSING STUDENT’S PERCEPTIONS OF RECYCLING INITIATIVES FOR PACKAGING WASTE MANAGEMENT AT UITM DUNGUN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/JTHEM.1145016Keywords:
Attitudes, Environmental Awareness, Packaging Waste, Recycling, Sustainable PackagingAbstract
Packaging waste has become a significant issue in higher education institutions. The increasing usage of packaged food, beverages, and takeaway items among university students. Furthermore, this issue has also increased due to the growing demand for food delivery services and convenience foods. This phenomenon has contributed to the accumulation of packaging waste on campuses. Therefore, recycling is an effective waste management strategy because it helps reduce environmental pollution, conserve natural resources, and promote sustainable practices. Universities should encourage environmentally behaviours for students. In addition, universities should also implement recycling initiatives and provide sufficient waste management facilities. Although there are a lot of recycling initiatives, student participation is often inconsistent. Individual attitudes, personal recycling habits, and awareness of environmental issues were factors that can influence students’ willingness to join in recycling initiatives. Therefore, to improve waste management practices on campus, understanding students’ perceptions of recycling initiatives is essential. Positive attitudes toward recycling, strong environmental awareness, and established recycling habits have been identified as important determinants of recycling behaviour. In contrast, limited knowledge, lack of motivation, and inadequate access to recycling facilities may decrease participation in recycling programs. Therefore, this study determined students’ perceptions on recycling initiatives for packaging waste management at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Dungun. It also examines the influence of attitudes, personal habits, and awareness of environmental impacts on students’ participation in recycling initiatives. The findings provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of current recycling initiatives and offer recommendations for enhancing sustainable waste management practices. Besides that, this study also contributes to promoting environmental responsibility and supporting the development of a more sustainable campus environment.
Downloads
References
Alshehri, A. A. (2025). Environmental education and student sustainability awareness in higher education. Sustainability, 17(1), 112. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17010112
Awino, F. B., & Apitz, S. E. (2024). Solid waste management in the context of the waste hierarchy and circular economy frameworks: An international critical review. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 20(1), 9–35. https://doi.org/10.1002/ieam.4774
Boca, G. D., & Saraçli, S. (2023). Effects of students’ awareness and needs regarding plastic waste management. Sustainability, 15(8), 6811. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086811
Butt, M. M., et al. (2014). Environmental education and sustainable development awareness in higher education. Environmental Education Research, 20(3), 345–360.
Cerqueira-Streit, J. A., Guarnieri, P., Oliveira, L. H., & Demajorovic, J. (2023). From trash to profit: How packaging waste management has driven the circular economy—An integrative literature review. Logistics, 7(3), 66. https://doi.org/10.3390/logistics7030066
Corona, B., Tunn, V. S. C., & van den Broek, K. L. (2024). Integrating consumer behaviour into the environmental assessment of circular packaging: A scoping review. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 29(1), 80–98. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-023-02218-1
Li, J., et al. (2019). Environmental awareness and pro-environmental behaviour among university students. Journal of Environmental Management, 250, 109491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109491
Maulidini, N. A., & Sumarwan, U. (2022). Social media campaigns and environmental attitude formation. Sustainability, 14(18), 11520. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811520
Nemat, A., et al. (2020). Plastic waste sorting behaviour and recycling efficiency. Waste Management, 105, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2020.01.045
Otto, S., et al. (2021). Consumer expectations on recyclable packaging and waste reduction. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 164, 105152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105152
Ram, M., & Bracci, E. (2024). Waste management, waste indicators and the relationship with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A systematic literature review. Sustainability, 16(19), 8486. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198486
Shafiei, A., & Maleksaeidi, H. (2020). Pro-environmental behaviour among university students. Journal of Cleaner Production, 251, 119641. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119641
Soderberg, S., et al. (2022). Recycling behaviour and packaging perception among students. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 177, 105968. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105968
Trong, N. H., et al. (2023). Green behaviour and environmental attitudes in university campuses. Sustainability, 15(6), 5123. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065123
Williams, H., et al. (2018). Packaging design and recycling behaviour. Waste Management, 80, 100–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2018.08.023
Wu, Y., et al. (2019). Environmental education and sustainability awareness in universities. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 20(5), 789–805.
Yu, C., et al. (2023). Plastic packaging waste and recycling strategies. Recycling, 8(6), 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling8060090
Zhang, Y., et al. (2023). Takeaway packaging waste and environmental impact. Environmental Pollution, 337, 122518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122518
