Abstract

Environmental problems act in a systemic, interconnected, and interdependent manner and require pedagogical intervention that prioritizes the biosphere. This review addresses the concept of eco-literacy as a means of sustaining the environment through education. This concept is deployed in schools through actions such as tree planting, reducing the use of plastics and non-perishable materials, recycling, and environmental care—cross-cutting themes in the maintenance of shared, public, and private spaces. The research project integrated, from an eco-literacy perspective, the management of solid waste (SW) at Champagnat Educational Institution (IECC) in the city of Popayán, with the involvement of tenth-grade students, teachers, and support staff. The project was carried out using a sequential mixed-methods approach to select, analyze, and combine both quantitative and qualitative methods and data, as well as to identify models, experiences, and reflections aimed at medium- and long-term improvement. The results helped identify the current situation of solid waste management (SWM) at IECC, where 78% of respondents recognized an environmental issue and 71.2% stated that SW pollution is the main problem. Additionally, strategies related to eco-literacy and SWM were proposed in collaboration with tenth-grade students.