Plastic Waste management: Knowledge, Attitude and Perception of Students at a Tertiary Medical Institution, Ondo State, Nigeria

In addressing the challenges of plastic waste management, universities play a prominent role. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to assess the knowledge, attitude and perception of students of a Tertiary Medical Institution Ondo State, Nigeria, using appropriate standard methods with a structured questionnaire for collecting both the qualitative and quantitative data from 222 respondents. The most common academic levels were 200 Level (27%) and 100 Level (24.3%). A combined total of 200 out of 222 respondents (90.1%) were at least somewhat open to changing their habits, showing a positive trend towards willingness to reduce plastic waste. Most respondents (152) representing 68% perceived the current plastic waste management practices as fairly effective. About 96% of the respondent believed that institutions should play a role in promoting plastic waste management among students. About 71% of the respondent participated in programmes that related to plastic waste management and 81% would like to attend a seminar/workshop on the process and benefits of plastic waste segregation. By fostering a culture of sustainability, institutions can play a vital role in reducing plastic pollution and teaching future leaders to value responsible environmental practices.