A town council collects 2500 tonnes of plastic waste in one year. The table shows what happens to this waste.
| What happens to the plastic waste | Percentage of the waste / % |
|---|---|
| recycled | 45 |
| sent to landfill | 30 |
| burned (incinerated) | 25 |
Calculate the mass of plastic waste sent to landfill.
Explain why sending plastic waste to landfill is a problem.
Some of the plastic waste burned is PVC. Name one toxic gas that can be produced when PVC burns.
Give one reason why the plastic waste must be sorted before it can be recycled.
Most polymers are made from crude oil. Explain why this is a problem.
37 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Chemistry 10.3 Polymers, covering 10.3.1 Addition polymerisation of alkenes, 10.3.2 Uses and properties of polymers, 10.3.3 Condensation polymers and polyesters, 10.3.4 Problems with polymers and recycling, and 10.3.5 Natural polymers: DNA, starch and proteins. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.