Explain why glass bottles are considered a better choice than plastic bottles in terms of reducing the use of resources.
Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).
A supermarket is deciding whether to sell drinks in glass bottles or single-use plastic bottles. A environmental consultant considers the end-of-life options for both materials.
Model answer (4 marks)
Glass bottles can be reused directly, for example by refilling, which means no new material is required.
Recycling glass involves crushing and melting it to produce new glass products, so the same material is used again.
Both reusing and recycling glass reduce the need for limited raw materials such as sand, soda ash and limestone.
By avoiding the extraction of these raw materials, the energy required for quarrying and mining is also lowered, reducing environmental impact.
Recycling glass involves crushing and melting it to produce new glass products, so the same material is used again.
Both reusing and recycling glass reduce the need for limited raw materials such as sand, soda ash and limestone.
By avoiding the extraction of these raw materials, the energy required for quarrying and mining is also lowered, reducing environmental impact.
Examiner tips
- Mention both reuse and recycling of glass.
- Explain how this saves raw materials and energy.
- Use terms like ‘finite raw materials’ and ‘quarrying/mining’ to match the mark scheme.
- Keep the answer concise – 4 points only.
Common mistakes
- Confusing plastic recycling with glass recycling. Failing to state that glass can be reused without processing. Using vague terms like ‘less waste’ instead of specific resource savings.
Mark scheme (4 marks)
- Glass bottles can be reused (directly refilled / used again without processing)
- Glass can also be crushed and melted to make different glass products (recycled)
- Reusing / recycling glass reduces the use of limited / finite raw materials needed to make new glass
- Reusing / recycling reduces the energy needed / environmental impacts from quarrying or mining for raw materials
Related
- All AQA GCSE Chemistry (8462) revision notes →
- How to answer a "Explain" question →
- Decode the mark scheme abbreviations →
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