Most disposable plastic containers are now labeled with a code number (from 1 to 9) indicating the type or quality of...

Naz September 23, 2014

The conclusion of the argument is: "Consumers can make a significant long-term reduction in the amount of waste that goes unrecycled, therefore, by refusing to purchase those products packaged in plastic containers labeled with the highest code number."

Why? We know that most disposable plastic containers are now labeled with a code number--1 through 9--indicating the type or quality of plastic. We know that plastics with the lowest code numbers are the easiest for recycling plants to recycle and those with the highest numbers are rarely ever recycled.

Answer choice (B) states: "Many consumers are unaware of the codes that are stamped on the plastic containers."

Let's say this was true. If many consumers were unaware of the codes that are stamped on the plastic containers, would that mean that consumers would not be able to make a significant long-term reduction in the amount of waste that goes unrecycled by refusing to purchase those products packaged in plastic containers labeled with the highest code numbers? No. Just because the consumers are unaware of the codes, doesn't mean that the plan itself--if implemented--wouldn't work.

Thus, answer choice (B) has no impact on the validity of the conclusion. The argument is not assuming that everyone is aware of the numbers of each product. It merely states that a long-term solution to the amount of waste that goes unrecycled COULD BE made if people began to refuse to purchase plastic containers labeled with the highest code numbers.

Answer choice (C) states: "A plastic container almost always has a higher code number after it is recycled than it had before recycling because the recycling process causes a degradation of the quality of the plastic."

So, if everyone stopped buying those plastic containers with high numbers, this means they are primarily purchasing plastic containers with lower numbers. Once these containers with lower numbers are recycled, according to answer choice (C), the plastic will have a higher code number--meaning it is less likely to be recycled on the next round, i.e. the long-term effect of only buying low numbered plastic containers will result in a lot of high numbered plastic containers.

Therefore, if answer choice (C) were correct, it would no longer necessarily follow that consumers could make a significant LONG-TERM reduction in the amount of waste that goes unrecycled, since the newly recycled plastic containers that originally had low numbers would then all have higher numbers, making it harder for them to be recycled on the next round.

Hope that was helpful! Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Julie-V July 16, 2019

Thank you for explaining why C would be the correct answer! I was wondering if E could be eliminated because it doesn't talk about purchasing plastic containers but instead about discarding them. Thanks in advance for the help!