TOWARD ZERO WASTE: A NEEDS ANALYSIS FOR THE FORMULATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE UNIVERSITY SATELLITE CAMPUS WASTE MANAGEMENT POLICY

This study explores how much waste is currently produced in a university satellite campus, how well students understand existing sustainability efforts, and how ready they are to support a Zero Waste Policy. Using a quantitative descriptive design, the research gathered data from a validated questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.794) administered to 222 undergraduate students selected through stratified random sampling across eight academic departments. Results show that food scraps, plastics, and paper or cardboard remain the most common types of waste generated on campus. Despite this, most students still dispose of their waste in general trash bins, with very few using available recycling or composting facilities. While many students are aware of the campus’s sustainability-related reminders and policies, their understanding of specific programs—such as composting or the proper handling of e-waste—remains limited. Even so, most respondents reported feeling prepared to shift toward more sustainable daily practices, and an overwhelming 89.64% expressed strong support for the establishment of a Zero Waste Policy. Students cited environmental concern, encouragement from peers, and seeing the visible effects of their actions as their main reasons for participating. In contrast, they identified the lack of adequate waste-segregation facilities and insufficient training as the biggest obstacles. Overall, the findings point to the need for better waste-management infrastructure on campus, more targeted education and training activities, and engagement strategies that involve students and other stakeholders more actively. These insights provide a practical foundation for crafting a comprehensive and workable Zero Waste Policy for the university. Keywords: Zero Waste Policy, Waste Management, University Campus, Sustainability, Stakeholder Readiness, Stratified Sampling, Environmental Behavior