Diagnosis of students’ environmental perception of solid waste in a school in the Pará Amazon, Brazil

Abstract

This paper aimed to diagnose the environmental perception of high school students at Maestro Wilson Dias da Fonseca State School, in Santarém, Pará, Brazil, within the Amazonian context, regarding practices related to solid waste management in the school environment. The research, of a quali-quantitative nature, was conducted through the application of a semi-structured questionnaire to 32 students, as part of the extension project “Ufopa de Portas Abertas”. The results revealed that 91% of the participants do not know how often the school’s waste is collected, 72% are unaware of its destination, and 56% cannot estimate ​​the amount of waste they produce. Furthermore, 94% of respondents are unfamiliar with the 5R’s policy, while only 9% reported regularly separating waste. Despite these gaps, 53% expressed interest in participating in actions related to waste measurement and management, while 41% identified awareness campaigns as the main strategy for improvement. Additionally, 63% of students have never participated in events about solid waste, and 50% stated that the school does not develop environmental projects. These findings indicate weaknesses in conceptual knowledge and in the consolidation of sustainable practices within the school environment, suggesting that environmental education is not yet fully integrated into everyday pedagogical practices.