Workers’ perception of solid waste management in higher education institutions in the Amazon region of Brazil

Abstract

Higher education institutions (HEIs) offer promising opportunities to develop strategies and actions for managing Solid Waste (SW). This study aimed to analyze the perceptions of employees working at HEIs in Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil, on how their institutions manage SW. HEIs 1 and 2 (public) and HEI 3 (private) were evaluated. The study method was qualitative and quantitative. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a questionnaire addressing five domains of Waste Management: I − Recycling program; II − Treatment of organic waste; III − Campaign to reduce the use of paper and plastic; IV − Treatment of inorganic waste; and V − Treatment of toxic waste. A multidimensional similarity analysis was carried out between the HEIs. HEI2 showed better overall performance when compared to the other HEIs (p = 0.012). In domain I, only HEI 2 has a selective waste collection program and disposes of waste properly (score = 150, p < 0.001). None of the HEIs treat organic waste (domain II). In Domain III, only public HEIs dematerialize administrative procedures and processes. Only HEI2 and HEI3 maintained similar behavior on domain IV (score = 300). In domain V, all HEIs have outsourced companies specialized in waste collection. The multidimensional analysis showed a high similarity among the HEIs. In conclusion, the HEI 2 showed slightly better waste management practices according to the worker’s perception. However, all HEIs in Roraima still need to make progress in managing their SWs.