RECYCLING KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE AMONG STUDENTS OF UNIVERSITI PENDIDIKAN SULTAN IDRIS
Students in institutions of higher learning are those who can be nurtured with sustainable lifestyle practices during their study period on campus. Involvement in eco-friendly programs and practices on campus will be brought into their next community. An individual’s goal or motivation is a value that can drive the change from knowledge into action. This study was conducted to identify the level of knowledge and level of recycling practices among students of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI). The relationship between recycling knowledge and practices among 376 UPSI students was studied using a quantitative approach using SPSS analysis. The instrument construct used has a reliability value of α = 0.750. A total of 256 female respondents and 120 male respondents answered the questionnaire provided. The respondents of this study consisted of UPSI students in the age range of 18 to 26 years. In addition, respondents have different educational backgrounds namely diploma (21.5%), bachelor's degree (73.4%), and master's degree (5.1%). The results of the study found that UPSI students’ level of knowledge on recycling is high with an overall mean of 4.344. Based on the standard deviation and mean score, the majority of respondents have a high level of recycling practices with an overall mean of 4.145. However, the association between recycling knowledge and practices among UPSI students showed a weak correlation with a value of 0.141. In conclusion, although UPSI students have a high level of knowledge of recycling, it is not the driving factor for recycling practices. This situation indicates the need to change the implementation strategy of the recycling program on campus through emphasizing other aspects such as self-motivation and social motivation as well as universal values for lifelihood wellbeing.