Sorting and processing municipal waste helps to manage resources sustainably.
Look at the table showing the composition of plastic waste in a city and the percentage of each plastic type that is currently recycled:
| Plastic Type | Percentage in municipal waste | Percentage currently recycled |
|---|---|---|
| PET | 28 | 18 |
| HDPE | 12 | 26 |
| PVC | 5 | 2 |
| LDPE | 22 | 10 |
| PP | 19 | 8 |
| PS | 14 | 4 |
Which plastic type is present in the greatest percentage in municipal waste?
Which plastic type is recycled in the smallest percentage?
Thermal depolymerisation is a chemical process that breaks down long polymer chains into useful smaller hydrocarbon monomers. One condition needed is a high temperature. Write down one other common condition or substance used to speed up this reaction.
Increasing plastic recycling is highly beneficial. Explain why improving the recycling rate of PET and LDPE would have a major impact. Use information from the table in your answer.
In 2011, a major recycling facility processed 3,400,000 tonnes of plastic waste. By 2023, this had increased to 8,100,000 tonnes of plastic waste.
Calculate the percentage increase in the amount of plastic waste processed from 2011 to 2023.
Use the formula:
percentage increase=increaseoriginal×100 \text{percentage increase} = \frac{\text{increase}}{\text{original}} \times 100 percentage increase=originalincrease×100Give your answer to 2 decimal places.
81 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Chemistry Improving processes and products. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.