Why do some scientists prefer washing and reusing bottles to melting them?
A glass bottle can be melted down and made into a new bottle again and again without losing quality. This makes glass very different from some plastics, which become weaker each time they are recycled. However, recycling glass still uses a great deal of heat, because the furnace must reach about fifteen hundred degrees Celsius. Some scientists therefore argue that washing and reusing bottles is better than melting them, since a reused bottle needs only water and soap. In practice, reuse works best when the bottles are collected locally, because carrying heavy glass over long distances adds to the cost and to the pollution.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Reuse needs far less energy than heating a furnace
- Step 1: The passage says a reused bottle needs only water and soap while melting needs a very hot furnace. Answer: Reuse needs far less energy. Why not the others: The passage makes no claim about strength, about collection being unnecessary or about plastic waste from melting.
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