Evaluating a School Waste Bank Strategy for Strengthening Students’ Environmental Responsibility: A Case Study at SDN 4 Tanggungharjo

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the strategy for strengthening students’ environmental care character through the Waste Bank program at SDN 4 Tanggungharjo, Grobogan Regency. This study employed a qualitative approach with a case study design. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation involving the principal, teachers, students, Waste Bank management team, and other relevant school stakeholders. Data analysis was conducted through data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing, while data credibility was established through source and technique triangulation. The findings indicate that the evaluation of the Waste Bank strategy was conducted through four interconnected mechanisms: periodic evaluation and collective reflection, financial transparency and program accountability, adaptive responses to problems, and program sustainability. Periodic evaluation enabled the school to identify problems related to student participation, waste sorting, and program management and to formulate corrective actions collaboratively. Financial transparency was maintained through individual student savings records and the main Waste Bank financial records, strengthening accountability and trust. Adaptive responses transformed students’ mistakes in waste sorting into learning opportunities through additional explanation, guidance, and repeated practice. Program sustainability was supported by institutional planning and budgeting, adequate facilities, continued student participation, and cooperation with external waste-management partners. Overall, the evaluation process demonstrated that the Waste Bank had developed beyond a waste-collection activity into a school-based mechanism for strengthening environmental care character. The evaluation functioned as a feedback mechanism connecting reflection, corrective action, behavioral reinforcement, accountability, and institutional sustainability. The study concludes that the effectiveness of a school-based Waste Bank strategy depends not only on the implementation of environmental activities but also on the school’s capacity to continuously evaluate, adapt, and institutionalize the program to support students’ environmental responsibility.