Compare the environmental impact of reusing a glass bottle with recycling it to make a different glass product. [4 marks]
Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).
Model answer (4 marks)
Reusing a glass bottle requires no crushing or melting, so it uses far less energy than recycling it. Reuse also means no new raw materials are needed, whereas recycling still requires some additional raw materials for the melting process. Both reuse and recycling cut down on quarrying and mining compared with making new glass from scratch, thereby reducing environmental damage. However, recycling produces waste such as broken cullet that is unsuitable for reprocessing and releases waste gases during melting, whereas reuse generates far less waste.
Examiner tips
- Mention energy use difference first, then raw materials, then quarrying, finally waste differences
- Use exact terms: crushing, melting, raw materials, quarrying, waste gases
Common mistakes
- Confusing reuse with recycling or vice versa
- Omitting the energy comparison or the waste gas point
Mark scheme (4 marks)
- Reusing a glass bottle requires no crushing or melting, so less energy is used than recycling
- Reusing means fewer/no new raw materials are needed, whereas recycling (crushing and melting) may still require some additional raw materials
- Both reuse and recycling reduce the amount of quarrying/mining needed (compared to making new glass from scratch), reducing environmental damage
- Recycling glass produces waste (e.g. broken glass / cullet that is not suitable) / releases waste gases during melting, whereas reuse produces less waste
Key terms in this question
Related
- All AQA GCSE Chemistry (8462) revision notes →
- How to answer a "Compare" question →
- Decode the mark scheme abbreviations →
More Life cycle assessment and recycling questions
- A company produces two versions of a carrier bag: one made from plastic and one …
- Explain why a life cycle assessment (LCA) is not a purely objective process.
- Describe four ways in which recycling metals reduces the environmental impact of…
- A company carries out a life cycle assessment (LCA) for a plastic drinks bottle.…