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Milk bottles can be made from glass or from a polymer - AQA - GCSE Chemistry - Question 3 - 2022 - Paper 2
Question 3
Milk bottles can be made from glass or from a polymer. Table 2 shows information about milk bottles of equal volume. Table 2 | Glass | Polymer | |--... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Milk bottles can be made from glass or from a polymer - AQA - GCSE Chemistry - Question 3 - 2022 - Paper 2
Step 1
Raw Materials
Answer
The production of glass milk bottles requires raw materials such as limestone and sand, which are finite resources. In contrast, polymer bottles are made from crude oil, which is also a limited resource and contributes to environmental degradation through extraction processes. The quarrying and mining activities for glass materials can harm the environment, while the extraction of crude oil can lead to pollution.
Step 2
Manufacturing
Answer
The energy required to manufacture a glass bottle (750 kJ) is significantly higher than that of a polymer bottle (90 kJ). Besides the energy consumed in manufacturing, glass is heavier than polymer, which increases transportation energy costs. Therefore, the total energy impact of producing and transporting glass bottles is greater.
Step 3
Use and Operation
Answer
Glass bottles can be reused multiple times (25 times), which contributes to resource conservation. Reusing glass leads to reduced energy use and natural resource consumption compared to single-use polymer bottles. Conversely, polymer bottles are typically single-use, leading to higher waste generation.
Step 4
Disposal
Answer
Both types of bottles can be recycled; however, recycling glass can help create different glass products, effectively conserving natural resources. Recycling polymers also conserves resources but may not be as efficient overall. Both disposal methods reduce landfill waste, but the environmental benefits of recycling glass can outweigh those of recycling polymers.
Step 5
Reasoned Judgment
Answer
Considering all factors, while glass bottles have a higher initial energy cost associated with their production and transport, their reusability and recycling benefits may render them more sustainable over their lifecycle compared to polymer bottles, which are typically single-use.