7.11 Problems with polymers and recycling
5 exam questions worth 11 marks. Write your answer, open the mark scheme, then give yourself the marks you earned. Your answers are saved on this device.
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Why do most polymers stay in landfill sites for hundreds of years?
Choose one answer.
Correct Not quite: the answer is They are not biodegradable
Mark scheme
C
Model answer
C: most polymers are not biodegradable.
Give two problems caused by burning waste polymers.
Mark scheme
any two from:
- produces carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) (1)
- some release toxic gases, e.g. hydrogen chloride from PVC (1)
- incomplete combustion gives carbon monoxide / soot (1)
Model answer
Burning releases carbon dioxide, which adds to global warming, and some polymers such as PVC release toxic gases.
Give two advantages of recycling polymers.
Mark scheme
any two from:
- saves crude oil (1)
- uses less energy (1)
- reduces landfill / litter (1)
Model answer
Recycling saves crude oil and reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill.
Give two disadvantages of recycling polymers.
Mark scheme
any two from:
- must be collected and sorted (1)
- sorting is difficult / expensive (1)
- recycled polymer may be lower quality (1)
Model answer
Plastics must be collected and sorted into different types, which is expensive, and the recycled polymer is often lower quality.
A council is deciding whether to burn waste plastics or send them to landfill.
Evaluate the two options.
Mark scheme
- landfill: not biodegradable / lasts hundreds of years / uses land (1)
- burning: releases energy that can be used (1)
- burning: produces CO2 / toxic gases (1)
- justified conclusion (1)
Model answer
Landfill uses up land, and the plastics remain for hundreds of years because they are not biodegradable. Burning releases useful energy and reduces the volume of waste, but it produces carbon dioxide and possibly toxic gases. Burning with energy recovery and gas cleaning is probably better than landfill, but recycling would be better still.
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