TITLE:
Assessing Sustainable Solid Waste Management Practices in Selected Senior High Schools in the New Juabeng North Municipality, Ghana
AUTHORS:
Stephen Twumasi Annan, Richard Yamoah, Felix Tetteh Kabutey, Prosper Deo-Donne Lumorh, Francis Kastro Kavi, Rebecca Kitien Yandam, Collins Owusu-Fordjour
KEYWORDS:
Sustainable Solid Waste Management, Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) Model, Senior High Schools, Waste Segregation, School-Based Waste Management, Awareness-Practice Gap
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.14 No.4,
April
22,
2026
ABSTRACT: This study assessed sustainable solid waste management (SSWM) practices in selected senior high schools in the New Juabeng North Municipality, Ghana, using a descriptive survey design. Data were collected via observation checklists and structured questionnaires administered to 360 students from four selected schools through purposive and simple random sampling. A waste characterization study was conducted across the school compound, including dining halls, dormitories, classrooms, and common areas, over a four-week period. The composition was determined based on the observed frequency of waste items, tallied by two trained researchers using a standardized checklist, following a modified ASTM Committee D-34 on Waste Management protocol for visual characterization. Results indicated that plastics (37%), paper (25%), and packaging materials dominated the waste stream, reflecting student consumption and institutional activities. While students exhibited high awareness (mean index = 2.64) and positive attitudes (mean index = 2.67) toward SSWM, their actual practices were notably low (mean index = 1.67), particularly in waste segregation, recycling, and composting. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive association between awareness and attitudes (ρ = 0.64, p p p