The role of ecobrick workshops in raising plastic pollution awareness and encouraging intent for behavioral change

Plastic pollution is a critical environmental issue, threatening wildlife, ecosystems, and human health. This study examines the effectiveness of ecobrick workshops in fostering plastic pollution awareness and strengthening intention to adopt sustainable behaviors among Malaysian, Indonesian, and Japanese students who took part in ecobrick workshops. A Likert-scale survey was used to collect responses from 30 workshop participants. Results indicate a significant increase in participants’ awareness of plastic pollution (93.6%) and their perceived ability to reduce plastic waste (96.8%) following the workshops. Most of the students (87.1%) agreed that ecobricks are easy enough to be done at home, but only 54.8% of them were willing to do it at home. The workshops convinced 87.1% of the students that they are capable of minimizing plastic pollution and compelled 70.9% of the students that it is not difficult to reduce plastic waste. Collaborative work between students from different countries provided the opportunities for them to recognize a shared commitment to environmental preservation, highlighting the emergence of a global citizenship mindset transcending national boundaries. The workshops effectively conveyed the importance of sustainable development goals, further reinforcing participants’ sense of collective responsibility. This research underscores the potential of experiential learning initiatives, such as ecobrick workshops, in promoting global citizenship and addressing environmental challenges across diverse contexts.