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V07-18
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16 Sep 2014, 02:29
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From 2000 to 2010, beverage containers accounted for a steadily decreasing percentage of the total weight of domestic garbage in the Brazil. The increasingly widespread practice of recycling aluminum and plastic was responsible for most of this decline. However, although aluminum recycling was more widely practiced in this period than plastic recycling, it was found that the weight of plastic bottles in domestic garbage declined by a greater percentage than the weight of aluminum cans.
Which of the following, if true of the Brazil in the period 2000 to 2010, most helps to account for the finding?
A. Plastic bottles are significantly heavier than aluminum cans of comparable size.
B. Recycled aluminum cans were almost all beverage containers, but a significant fraction of the recycled plastic bottles had contained products other than beverages.
C. Manufacturers replaced many plastic bottles, but few aluminum cans, with polymer containers.
D. The total weight of plastic bottles purchased by domestics increased at a slightly faster rate than the total weight of aluminum cans.
E. In many areas, plastic bottles had to be sorted by color of the plastic before being recycled, whereas aluminum cans required no sorting.
Which of the following, if true of the Brazil in the period 2000 to 2010, most helps to account for the finding?
A. Plastic bottles are significantly heavier than aluminum cans of comparable size.
B. Recycled aluminum cans were almost all beverage containers, but a significant fraction of the recycled plastic bottles had contained products other than beverages.
C. Manufacturers replaced many plastic bottles, but few aluminum cans, with polymer containers.
D. The total weight of plastic bottles purchased by domestics increased at a slightly faster rate than the total weight of aluminum cans.
E. In many areas, plastic bottles had to be sorted by color of the plastic before being recycled, whereas aluminum cans required no sorting.
Re: V07-18
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20 May 2017, 10:35
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After hours of confusion, I post my explanation of this passage which might help others.
Fact 1: Plastic recycling is less widely practiced than aluminium recycling.
Fact 2: The weight of plastic bottles in household garbage declined by a greater percentage than the weight of aluminium cans.
Beverage containers - Ketchup bottles, Tinned Tuna etc.
To understand this passage, we have to make a distinction clear.
-> A piece of garbage, if not recycled, reaches domestic garbage, and a piece of garbage, if recycled, does not reach domestic garbage.
If plastic recycling is less widely practiced than aluminium recycling, then more and more plastic bottles would NOT have been recycled compared to aluminium bottles -> So, there will be more plastic bottles in the domestic garbage than aluminium bottles -> This means that the weight of plastic bottles in household garbage WOULD NOT HAVE declined by a greater percentage than the weight of aluminium cans. But, the result is just the opposite.
The correct answer choice must explain how the weight of plastic bottles in garbage declined by a greater percentage than the weight of aluminum cans, even though plastic recycling is less widely practiced.
So, apart from recycling, there should be some other factor. What if people start dumping far fewer plastic bottles? So, even when plastic recycling is NOT that widespread, this fact might help explain why "The weight of plastic bottles in household garbage declined by a greater percentage than the weight of aluminium cans"
Let's check the answers now:
A. Weight of plastic > Weight of aluminium. If this were true and combined with the fact that "Plastic recycling is less widely practiced than aluminum recycling", the weight of plastic bottles in domestic SHOULD NOT HAVE declined by a greater percentage than the weight of aluminum cans. But, the opposite has happened and still this doesn't explain the situation at hand.
B. Of all recycled aluminium cans, most of them are beverage containers. Of all recycled plastic bottles, a significant number had other non-beverage remains. Nowhere in the passage, it has been mentioned that plastic bottles are only used for beverages and hence it doesn't do justice to explain the situation.
C. If beverage manufacturers start using polymer containers instead of more of plastic bottles, then household people who buy these beverages will have far fewer plastic bottles to dispose off. This will result in far fewer plastic bottles reaching the domestic garbage and there would be a huge decline in the number of plastic bottles reaching the domestic garbage compared to aluminium bottles.
For ex.
Year 2000, out of 200 plastic bottles, 100 were recycled and 100 were discarded.
Year 2010, out of 100 plastic bottles(manufacturers have switched to polymer bottles, hence low number), 100 were recycled(same recycling capacity) and 0 were discarded.
So, the number of plastic bottles reaching the garbage(discarded bottles) has declined by 100 %(100 -> 0)
D. If this were, households will have more plastic bottles to dispose off and still it doesn't explain the situation at hand.
E. Clearly out of scope as sorting is not important here.
This is my first GMAT CLUB post. If you like my post, please encourage me through KUDOS!!!
Fact 1: Plastic recycling is less widely practiced than aluminium recycling.
Fact 2: The weight of plastic bottles in household garbage declined by a greater percentage than the weight of aluminium cans.
Beverage containers - Ketchup bottles, Tinned Tuna etc.
To understand this passage, we have to make a distinction clear.
-> A piece of garbage, if not recycled, reaches domestic garbage, and a piece of garbage, if recycled, does not reach domestic garbage.
If plastic recycling is less widely practiced than aluminium recycling, then more and more plastic bottles would NOT have been recycled compared to aluminium bottles -> So, there will be more plastic bottles in the domestic garbage than aluminium bottles -> This means that the weight of plastic bottles in household garbage WOULD NOT HAVE declined by a greater percentage than the weight of aluminium cans. But, the result is just the opposite.
The correct answer choice must explain how the weight of plastic bottles in garbage declined by a greater percentage than the weight of aluminum cans, even though plastic recycling is less widely practiced.
So, apart from recycling, there should be some other factor. What if people start dumping far fewer plastic bottles? So, even when plastic recycling is NOT that widespread, this fact might help explain why "The weight of plastic bottles in household garbage declined by a greater percentage than the weight of aluminium cans"
Let's check the answers now:
A. Weight of plastic > Weight of aluminium. If this were true and combined with the fact that "Plastic recycling is less widely practiced than aluminum recycling", the weight of plastic bottles in domestic SHOULD NOT HAVE declined by a greater percentage than the weight of aluminum cans. But, the opposite has happened and still this doesn't explain the situation at hand.
B. Of all recycled aluminium cans, most of them are beverage containers. Of all recycled plastic bottles, a significant number had other non-beverage remains. Nowhere in the passage, it has been mentioned that plastic bottles are only used for beverages and hence it doesn't do justice to explain the situation.
C. If beverage manufacturers start using polymer containers instead of more of plastic bottles, then household people who buy these beverages will have far fewer plastic bottles to dispose off. This will result in far fewer plastic bottles reaching the domestic garbage and there would be a huge decline in the number of plastic bottles reaching the domestic garbage compared to aluminium bottles.
For ex.
Year 2000, out of 200 plastic bottles, 100 were recycled and 100 were discarded.
Year 2010, out of 100 plastic bottles(manufacturers have switched to polymer bottles, hence low number), 100 were recycled(same recycling capacity) and 0 were discarded.
So, the number of plastic bottles reaching the garbage(discarded bottles) has declined by 100 %(100 -> 0)
D. If this were, households will have more plastic bottles to dispose off and still it doesn't explain the situation at hand.
E. Clearly out of scope as sorting is not important here.
This is my first GMAT CLUB post. If you like my post, please encourage me through KUDOS!!!
General Discussion
Re V07-18
[#permalink]
16 Sep 2014, 02:29
1
Bookmarks
Expert Reply
Official Solution:
From 2000 to 2010, beverage containers accounted for a steadily decreasing percentage of the total weight of domestic garbage in the Brazil. The increasingly widespread practice of recycling aluminum and plastic was responsible for most of this decline. However, although aluminum recycling was more widely practiced in this period than plastic recycling, it was found that the weight of plastic bottles in domestic garbage declined by a greater percentage than the weight of aluminum cans.
Which of the following, if true of the Brazil in the period 2000 to 2010, most helps to account for the finding?
A. Plastic bottles are significantly heavier than aluminum cans of comparable size.
B. Recycled aluminum cans were almost all beverage containers, but a significant fraction of the recycled plastic bottles had contained products other than beverages.
C. Manufacturers replaced many plastic bottles, but few aluminum cans, with polymer containers.
D. The total weight of plastic bottles purchased by domestics increased at a slightly faster rate than the total weight of aluminum cans.
E. In many areas, plastic bottles had to be sorted by color of the plastic before being recycled, whereas aluminum cans required no sorting.
Background:
From 2000 to 2010 in Brazil, the weight of plastic bottles in domestic garbage declined by a greater percentage than that of aluminum cans, despite aluminum recycling being more prevalent than plastic recycling.
Objective:
To find the reason why the weight of plastic bottles in garbage declined more than aluminum cans, despite lower rates of plastic recycling.
Analysis of Answer Choices:
A. Plastic bottles are significantly heavier than aluminum cans of comparable size.
Relevance: This doesn't directly explain why the weight of plastic bottles declined more, especially considering less frequent recycling.
Conclusion: Not suitable, as it doesn't address the decrease in garbage contribution.
B. Recycled aluminum cans were almost all beverage containers, but a significant fraction of the recycled plastic bottles had contained products other than beverages.
Relevance: This implies that non-beverage plastic containers are also recycled, but doesn't account for a reduction in the plastic bottles' garbage contribution.
Conclusion: Insufficient, as it does not directly explain the decline in plastic bottles in domestic garbage.
C. Manufacturers replaced many plastic bottles, but few aluminum cans, with polymer containers.
Relevance: This suggests a significant reduction in the production and disposal of plastic bottles, which directly leads to a decrease in their presence in domestic garbage.
Conclusion: Suitable, directly addresses the disproportionate decline in plastic bottle waste.
D. The total weight of plastic bottles purchased by domestics increased at a slightly faster rate than the total weight of aluminum cans.
Relevance: If the total weight of plastic bottles increased, we would expect an increase, not a decrease, in their garbage contribution.
Conclusion: Contradicts the observed trend, thus inappropriate.
E. In many areas, plastic bottles had to be sorted by color of the plastic before being recycled, whereas aluminum cans required no sorting.
Relevance: Sorting complexity might impact recycling rates but does not directly relate to the decrease in garbage contribution.
Conclusion: Irrelevant to the specific decrease observed.
Conclusion:
Option C is the best answer because it provides a logical explanation for why plastic bottles would see a greater reduction in domestic garbage presence compared to aluminum cans, aligning with the switch to polymer containers reducing the number of plastic bottles used and disposed of. This supports the scenario despite lower recycling rates for plastic.
Answer: C
From 2000 to 2010, beverage containers accounted for a steadily decreasing percentage of the total weight of domestic garbage in the Brazil. The increasingly widespread practice of recycling aluminum and plastic was responsible for most of this decline. However, although aluminum recycling was more widely practiced in this period than plastic recycling, it was found that the weight of plastic bottles in domestic garbage declined by a greater percentage than the weight of aluminum cans.
Which of the following, if true of the Brazil in the period 2000 to 2010, most helps to account for the finding?
A. Plastic bottles are significantly heavier than aluminum cans of comparable size.
B. Recycled aluminum cans were almost all beverage containers, but a significant fraction of the recycled plastic bottles had contained products other than beverages.
C. Manufacturers replaced many plastic bottles, but few aluminum cans, with polymer containers.
D. The total weight of plastic bottles purchased by domestics increased at a slightly faster rate than the total weight of aluminum cans.
E. In many areas, plastic bottles had to be sorted by color of the plastic before being recycled, whereas aluminum cans required no sorting.
Background:
From 2000 to 2010 in Brazil, the weight of plastic bottles in domestic garbage declined by a greater percentage than that of aluminum cans, despite aluminum recycling being more prevalent than plastic recycling.
Objective:
To find the reason why the weight of plastic bottles in garbage declined more than aluminum cans, despite lower rates of plastic recycling.
Analysis of Answer Choices:
A. Plastic bottles are significantly heavier than aluminum cans of comparable size.
Relevance: This doesn't directly explain why the weight of plastic bottles declined more, especially considering less frequent recycling.
Conclusion: Not suitable, as it doesn't address the decrease in garbage contribution.
B. Recycled aluminum cans were almost all beverage containers, but a significant fraction of the recycled plastic bottles had contained products other than beverages.
Relevance: This implies that non-beverage plastic containers are also recycled, but doesn't account for a reduction in the plastic bottles' garbage contribution.
Conclusion: Insufficient, as it does not directly explain the decline in plastic bottles in domestic garbage.
C. Manufacturers replaced many plastic bottles, but few aluminum cans, with polymer containers.
Relevance: This suggests a significant reduction in the production and disposal of plastic bottles, which directly leads to a decrease in their presence in domestic garbage.
Conclusion: Suitable, directly addresses the disproportionate decline in plastic bottle waste.
D. The total weight of plastic bottles purchased by domestics increased at a slightly faster rate than the total weight of aluminum cans.
Relevance: If the total weight of plastic bottles increased, we would expect an increase, not a decrease, in their garbage contribution.
Conclusion: Contradicts the observed trend, thus inappropriate.
E. In many areas, plastic bottles had to be sorted by color of the plastic before being recycled, whereas aluminum cans required no sorting.
Relevance: Sorting complexity might impact recycling rates but does not directly relate to the decrease in garbage contribution.
Conclusion: Irrelevant to the specific decrease observed.
Conclusion:
Option C is the best answer because it provides a logical explanation for why plastic bottles would see a greater reduction in domestic garbage presence compared to aluminum cans, aligning with the switch to polymer containers reducing the number of plastic bottles used and disposed of. This supports the scenario despite lower recycling rates for plastic.
Answer: C