Recycling and Material Tradeoffs Worksheet

Question 1

A facility recovers 70 kg of material from 100 kg of used containers. What percentage is recovered?

1. 30 percent
2. 70 percent
3. 100 percent
4. 170 percent

Question 2

Explain why a recovery percentage alone does not establish how much energy a material’s recycling uses.

Write your answer and work on the printable worksheet, or answer online.

Question 3

A design first requires a minimum durability score. What should be checked before comparing energy use among the candidates?

1. Whether each material meets the durability requirement
2. Whether each material has the same color
3. Whether the sample names are alphabetical
4. Whether energy use can replace every requirement

Question 4

A material has better recovery but uses more processing energy than another material. Explain why those data can support different choices.

Write your answer and work on the printable worksheet, or answer online.

Question 5

Which material best meets the stated decision rule?

1. P
2. Q
3. R
4. All three

Question 6

Calculate how much less recycling energy Q uses per kilogram than P.

Write your answer and work on the printable worksheet, or answer online.

Question 7

If the minimum durability score rises to 80, which material qualifies?

1. P only
2. Q only
3. R only
4. P and Q

Question 8

Use one row to explain why choosing solely by highest recovery would conflict with the original durability requirement.

Write your answer and work on the printable worksheet, or answer online.