ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION: INFORMATION, TRAINING, AND PARTICIPATION

Abstract

Waste management in higher education institutions requires the articulation of technical procedures, institutional conditions, and educational processes. This article analyzes how information, training, and participation appear in the perceptions and experiences of a university community and discusses their contributions to critical environmental education related to waste management. A descriptive case study combining qualitative and quantitative approaches was conducted in an academic unit of a public higher education institution. Data production involved documentary research, direct observation, five semi-structured interviews, and a questionnaire answered by 156 faculty members, students, administrative staff, and outsourced workers. The results showed that 82.7% of respondents were unaware of the final destination of the waste, only 11.5% had received institutional training, and 51.9% were unaware of initiatives aimed at improving waste management. Although 94.9% considered participation essential, involvement in existing actions was limited. Open-ended responses indicated a demand for courses, training, informational materials, and permanent spaces for discussion. The study concludes that information, training, and participation are interdependent dimensions of environmental education and depend on continuity, dialogue, infrastructure, and concrete possibilities for collective action.