A company needs 1 tonne of copper for electrical wiring.
In Route M, copper ore is mined and processed to obtain the copper.
In Route R, discarded electrical cables are collected. The copper is separated from the insulation, transported, melted and reformed.
The table shows data for supplying 1 tonne of copper by each route.
| Route | Mass of copper ore mined in tonnes | Total energy used in MJ | Total cost in £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| M | 200 | 32 000 | 7200 |
| R | 0 | 14 000 | 7800 |
Evaluate the use of Route R instead of Route M. Use data from the table.
99 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Chemistry 10.2 Life cycle assessment and recycling, covering 10.2.1 Life cycle assessment and 10.2.2 Ways of reducing the use of resources. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.