Fifteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

Environmental education, together with peer pressure, is deemed to develop public awareness, change people’s behavior, and effectively address environmental problems, in addition to existing tools such as regulations and market-based incentives. In Philippines, to develop people’s awareness of solid waste problems and encourage segregation, the Republic Act 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, mandates the inclusion of environmental learning as a school subject and the implementation of an environmental education program, since an increase in solid waste production, caused by rapid urbanization and population growth, has been recognized as a critical issue. In accordance with the Act, Calamba City, the site examined in this study, has implemented an environmental education program for proper solid waste management in schools since 2010, with “school eco-centers” facilities that fulfill the segregation function. A questionnaire survey was administered to grade six students to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Since Stern (2014) elucidated that knowledge could be the most useful index for environmental education evaluation, we tested students’ knowledge of solid waste management and questioned their best friends in their social network. After controlling for individual characteristics, the results suggested that friendship networks affected students’ scores of solid waste management awareness. This study, therefore, identified the existence of peer influence on environmental education and the importance of commitment of both teachers and students.