Warning: foreach() argument must be of type array|object, bool given in /var/www/html/web/app/themes/studypress-core-theme/template-parts/header/mobile-offcanvas.php on line 20

Most disposable plastic containers are now labeled with a code number (from 1 to 9 ) indicating the type or quality of the plastic. Plastics with the lowest code numbers are the easiest for recycling plants to recycle and are thus the most likely to be recycled after use rather than dumped in landfills. Plastics labeled with the highest numbers are only rarely recycled. Consumers can make a significant long-term reduction in the amount of waste that goes unrecycled, therefore by refusing to purchase those products packaged in plastic containers labeled with the highest code numbers. Which one of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the conclusion above? (A) The cost of collecting, sorting, and recycling discarded plastics is currently higher than the cost of manufacturing new plastics from virgin materials. (B) Many consumers are unaware of the codes that are stamped on the plastic containers. (C) A plastic container almost always has a higher code number after it is recycled than it had before recycling because the recycling process causes a degradation of the quality of the plastic. (D) Products packaged in plastics with the lowest code numbers are often more expensive than those packaged in the higher-numbered plastics. (E) Communities that collect all discarded plastic containers for potential recycling later dump in landfills plastics with higher-numbered codes only when it is clear that no recycler will take them.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Option C most seriously undermines the conclusion as it suggests a cycle leading to higher-numbered plastics.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Conclusion

The conclusion of the argument is that consumers can significantly reduce unrecycled waste by avoiding products in high-numbered plastic containers.
02

Identify Potential Weakness

To undermine the conclusion, consider factors that would make consumers choosing against high-numbered plastics ineffective in reducing unrecycled waste.
03

Evaluate Option A

Option A suggests that recycling is costlier than producing new plastics, but this does not directly address consumer behavior or recycling frequency, so it does not weaken the conclusion.
04

Evaluate Option B

Option B states consumers are unaware of the recycling codes. While relevant, awareness alone does not challenge the effectiveness of consumers who do decide based on code numbers.
05

Evaluate Option C

Option C claims that plastics end up with higher code numbers after recycling, suggesting a cycle that increases unrecyclable materials even if consumers select lower codes initially. This weakens the conclusion by showing consumer efforts might be ineffective.
06

Evaluate Option D

Option D mentions higher cost of lower-numbered plastics, a potential obstacle but does not directly undermine the effectiveness of the strategy if consumers were willing to pay more.
07

Evaluate Option E

Option E indicates that high-numbered plastics are recycled only when feasible, suggesting that even collected high-numbered plastics might end in landfills, which doesn't counter the consumer decision impact directly.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Recycling Codes
Plastics are assigned recycling codes from 1 to 9. These numbers act as indicators of the type and quality of the plastic material. The lower the code number, the easier it is for recycling plants to process the plastic material. This means plastics with lower codes are more likely to be successfully recycled, ending up in new products instead of landfills.

Understanding these codes can empower consumers to make informed decisions. By opting for products with lower-numbered plastics, consumers can indirectly support easier and more efficient recycling processes. However, one crucial aspect is that not all consumers are aware of the importance and meaning of these recycling codes. If consumers were informed about these codes and their impact on recycling, more effective waste reduction could be achieved.

Still, some complexities exist. Recycled plastics often degrade in quality, meaning they might receive a higher recycling code after recycling. This might mislead consumers into thinking they are purchasing less recyclable materials, when in fact, the cycle of recycling itself has altered the initial product.
Consumer Behavior
Consumer behavior plays a fundamental role in the lifecycle of plastic waste. Individuals make choices daily that influence not just immediate consumption, but also environmental outcomes. The exercise from the LSAT logical reasoning emphasizes that consumers can help reduce plastic waste by selecting products packaged in lower-numbered plastics.

However, there are hurdles in harnessing effective consumer behavior for waste reduction. Many consumers might be unaware of recycling codes, consequently failing to see the impact of their purchasing decisions. Those who are conscious of these codes can make a positive difference, but the impact is muted if consumer awareness is not widespread.
  • Information campaigns can be critical to raising awareness about recycling codes.
  • Encouraging eco-friendly choices requires making sustainable options more accessible and affordable.
Ultimately, while consumer behavior is key, enhancing awareness and making eco-friendly products as competitive as less sustainable options is vital in maximizing waste reduction efforts.
Plastic Waste Reduction
Plastic waste reduction hinges on multiple factors, from individual choices to larger systemic changes. In the LSAT exercise, avoidance of high-numbered plastics is suggested as a way to decrease waste that goes unrecycled. While consumer actions are significant, this strategy alone might not suffice.

Reduction efforts can be challenged by the realities of the recycling market. Cost and demand play roles in determining which plastics are recycled versus which are sent to landfills. For example, even collected high-numbered plastics might end up as waste if no recycling plant considers it economically feasible to process them.

Efforts to reduce plastic waste might benefit from:
  • Promoting public policies that support improved recycling processes.
  • Investments in recycling infrastructure to tackle various plastic types.
  • Incentivizing companies to produce reusable and biodegradable materials.
Moreover, addressing these complexities can foster a more circular economy, where materials are reused and recycled to their fullest potential, ultimately contributing to substantial plastic waste reduction.

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Despite a steady decrease in the average number of hours worked per person per week, the share of the population that reads a daily newspaper has declined greatly in the past 20 years. But the percentage of the population that watches television daily has shown a similarly dramatic increase over the same period. Clearly, increased television viewing has caused a simultaneous decline in newspaper reading. Which one of the following, if true, would be most damaging to the explanation given above for the decline in newspaper reading? (A) There has been a dramatic increase over the past 20 years in the percentage of people who tell polltakers that television is their primary source of information about current events. (B) Of those members of the population who do not watch television, the percentage who read a newspaper every day has also shown a dramatic decrease. (C) The time people spend with the books and newspapers they read has increased, on average, from 1 to 3 hours per week in the past 20 years. (D) People who spend large amounts of time each day watching television are less able to process and remember printed information than are those who do not watch television. (E) A typical television set is on 6 hours a day, down from an average of \(61 / 2\) hours a day 5 years ago.

Eight years ago hunting was banned in Greenfield County on the grounds that hunting endangers public safety. Now the deer population in the county is six times what it was before the ban. Deer are invading residential areas, damaging property and causing motor vehicle accidents that result in serious injury to motorists. Since there were never any hunting-related injuries in the county, clearly the ban was not only unnecessary but has created a danger to public safety that would not otherwise exist. Which one of the following, if true, provides the strongest additional support for the conclusion above? (A) In surrounding counties, where hunting is permitted, the size of the deer population has not increased in the last eight years. (B) Motor vehicle accidents involving deer often result in damage to the vehicle, injury to the motorist, or both. (C) When deer populations increase beyond optimal size, disease and malnutrition become more widespread among the deer herds. (D) In residential areas in the county, many residents provide food and salt for deer. (E) Deer can cause extensive damage to ornamental shrubs and trees by chewing on twigs and saplings.

Office manager: I will not order recycled paper for this office. Our letters to clients must make a good impression, so we cannot print them on inferior paper. Stationery supplier: Recycled paper is not necessarily inferior. In fact, from the beginning, the finest paper has been made of recycled material. It was only in the 1850 s that paper began to be made from wood fiber, and then only because there were no longer enough rags to meet the demand for paper. In which one of the following ways does the stationer's response fail to address the office manager's objection to recycled paper? (A) It does not recognize that the office manager's prejudice against recycled paper stems from ignorance. (B) It uses irrelevant facts to justify a claim about the quality of the disputed product. (C) It assumes that the office manager is concerned about environmental issues. (D) It presupposes that the office manager understands the basic technology of paper manufacturing. (E) It ignores the office manager's legitimate concern about quality.

The director of a secondary school where many students were having severe academic problems impaneled a committee to study the matter. The committee reported that these students were having academic problems because they spent large amounts of time on school sports and too little time studying. The director then prohibited all students who were having academic problems from taking part in sports in which they were active. He stated that this would ensure that such students would do well academically. The reasoning on which the director bases his statement is not sound because he fails to establish that (A) some students who spend time on sports do not have academic problems (B) all students who do well academically do so because of time saved by not participating in sports (C) at least some of the time the students will save by not participating in sports will be spent on solving their academic problems (D) no students who do well academically spend time on sports (E) the quality of the school's sports program would not suffer as a result of the ban

Which one of the following best expresses the main point of the passage? (A) Gray marketing is unfair to trademark owners and should be legally controlled. (B) Gray marketing is practiced in many different forms and places, and legislators should recognize the futility of trying to regulate it. (C) The mechanisms used to control gray marketing across markets are different from those most effective in controlling gray marketing within markets. (D) The three trademark law theories that have been applied in gray marketing cases lead to different case outcomes. (E) Current theories used to interpret trademark laws have resulted in increased gray marketing activity.

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on English Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free