Environmental awareness and improved solid waste management in a food market in Lima, Peru

Abstract

Poor solid waste management in supply centers represents a serious environmental, health, and social problem in urban cities, as there is a latent risk of soil, water, and air pollution. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of implementing an environmental awareness program on solid waste management in the Ganímedes market in San Juan de Lurigancho, Lima, Peru. To this end, the current situation of solid waste management by all merchants was analyzed, and the level of knowledge, attitudes, and environmental practices was identified before and after the awareness program was implemented. The methodology is quantitative, with a quasi-experimental design. Structured surveys were administered to collect information on the variables of interest, before and after the merchants participated in activities such as talks, workshops, and the distribution of informational material. The results show that the program was highly effective, as the merchants' perceptions improved significantly (p – value of 0.00 in the paired t – test), while a positive relationship was also evident between greater environmental knowledge acquired – through the environmental awareness program – and improvements in environmental practices related to solid waste management (Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.852 with a p-value of 0.00). Therefore, this study contributes to the generation of relevant information for strengthening local environmental management in urban commercial spaces.