Concern about the environment has been growing in recent decades. The way in which goods are produced, which is primarily focused on profit rather than social welfare, combined with the disorderly occupation of space and historically conditioned consumer habits, has led to increasingly harmful socio-environmental consequences. The waste produced in large cities has been the subject of studies by researchers concerned about its gradual accumulation, its physical nature and the adverse socio-environmental impacts resulting from its excessive production, incorrect treatment and management. The core of the proposed management process is precisely the sensitization, awareness and critical reflection of the actors in the process, but human beings who produce this waste should not be thought of only as static generating sources, but as dynamic and constantly evolving individuals. The research focused on studying the social representations of an academic community on the subject of the environment and solid waste, and also carried out a physical characterization of the solid waste produced at the institute.