ABSTRACT

 The aim of this study was to assess the environmental awareness and waste management practices in selected secondary schools in Ikwuano and Umuahia North Local Government Areas ofAbia State Nigeria. Thus, to actualize the main objective ofthis work the followingfour specific objectives were used, to evaluate the students' level of awareness of environmental issues, determine the currently used waste disposal methods within the school environment, assess students practices in selected secondary schools and ascertain the positive way forward to address the issues. However, in the quest to perfect this research; survey research design was adopted, data were sourced primarily through questionnaire instrument distributed randomly to the selected secondary schools. Thus, one hundred and sixty responses were gathered and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The analysis however made the following findings; Students ’ level of awareness of environmental issues 43.75% ofstudents were worried about waste around their school premises, interested on the wastes around their school premise, very worried on the way students do away with waste in the school premises, 11.25°/o were not worried and satisfied with the way students’ disposed of their waste and 57.5% were very worried with the way the wastes are handled by their school management. Currently used waste disposal methods within the school environment, were open burning, landfill sites were never used, compositing were currently used, many don’t know waste disposal methods used within the school environment, incinerator and recycling are not beingpracticed as claimed by the students as waste disposal methods within the school environment. Practices of waste management in their respective schools, responses showed that 18.75%> ofstudents are not sure ofpractice of burying wastes in landfill sites. 83.13% ofrespondents agreed that burning and incinerating of waste were the major practice of waste management, while 61.88%> ofrespondents said that composting ofwaste were the major practice ofwaste management in the school environment, recycling and open dumping were not practiced as the major waste management practice in the school environment, in conclusion, the school authorities need to understand great implications for waste management practices in schools and the need to increase students’ knowledge, attitude andpractice ofwaste management issues.