Environmental awareness and sustainable practices of college students at San Jose community college: A framework for green initiatives

Environmental awareness reflects the extent to which individual cares about his/her environment. A higher degree of involvement provides motivation to the students to correct his preference order. This study determined the 1) level of environmental awareness, 2) the student’s sustainable practices along: a) solid waste management, b) water conservation, c) energy conservation and d) environmental conservation.
The study was premised on the following assumptions: a) The students are highly environmentally aware, b) The students are highly practicing the environmental sustainability of the institution.
The main respondents of this study were the Fourth Year Students of San Jose College in Malilipot, Albay using a Slovin’s formula in order of fair representations of respondents in in the study.
Using a descriptive quantitative research design the findings revealed that the students fully understood the importance of healthy and sustainable environment. Regularly, they practice how to conserve water, energy conservation, waste management and environmental conservation. However, there was complacency in the implementation of the RA 9003 and the Department of Education Memorandum 409 series of 2010 which led to insufficient waste bins and proper waste segregation.
It is therefore, advocated that continuous environmental education and practices should be incorporated in all subject activities which will ultimately become a habit of good practice and humbly pray that the formulated Framework for Green Initiatives be adopted.