Effective solid waste management practices in schools promote sustainable development by raising awareness and teaching learners about eco-friendly practices. This knowledge extends beyond the classroom, creating a more environmentally conscious society and instilling lasting habits in future generations. With the study reported on here we aimed to explore the solid waste management practices employed by primary school stakeholders. This interpretative qualitative study involved a school principal, a learner, a general worker, a food handler, a school governing body member, and a teacher from a primary school in the Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and observations and analysed using a thematic approach. The findings reveal that the primary school managed solid waste through practices like providing trash cans and garbage bags, storing waste in classrooms, setting classroom rules, and burning waste outdoors. However, these methods also contributed to air pollution and were inconsistently applied due to a lack of stakeholder engagement. We recommend that the school governing body creates a solid waste management policy for all stakeholders and establishes an environmental committee to raise awareness about environmental issues in the school and the community.

https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v46n2a2370

ORCiD iDs of authors:
Lettah Sikhosana – https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4406-7795
Awelani V Mudau - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0827-5688