iGCSE Chemistry (0620) Core:11.8 Polymers: Exam Style Questions Paper 1

Ans: C

Let’s evaluate each statement:

A) Incorrect – Plastics decompose very slowly in landfills, often taking hundreds of years.

B) Incorrect – Burning plastics typically produces toxic gases and pollutants, unless done under very controlled conditions.

C) Correct – Plastic waste does accumulate in oceans, forming things like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and harms marine life through ingestion and entanglement.

D) Incorrect – Most plastics are not water-soluble and this is not a standard disposal method.

Option C is the only completely accurate statement about plastic disposal issues.