LSAT Question Stem

Each of the following, if true, helps to explain the relatively low rate of plastic recycling EXCEPT: 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Must Be True question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is C. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's break down the passage. It states that consumers are concerned about the quantity of plastic packaging on the market, leading manufacturers to find ways to recycle plastic materials. However, only 6.5 percent of plastic is being recycled, compared to 33 percent of container glass. The passage highlights a discrepancy between the recycling rates of plastic and glass, and we need to understand why this is happening.

To help illustrate this, let's use a simple example. Imagine a town where people are concerned about the amount of plastic and glass waste. They want to recycle both materials, but they find it much easier to recycle glass than plastic. We need to figure out why this is the case.

The question type is a "Must Be True" (MBT) question, specifically asking for the answer choice that does NOT help explain the relatively low rate of plastic recycling. We need to evaluate each answer choice and determine which one does not provide a reason for the low rate of plastic recycling.

a) This answer choice states that many factories are set up to accept and make use of recycled glass, but there are few factories that make products out of recycled plastic. This helps explain the low rate of plastic recycling because it suggests that there is a lack of infrastructure to support plastic recycling, making it more difficult to recycle plastic compared to glass.

b) This answer choice explains that many plastic products are incompatible and cannot be recycled together, while most glass containers are compatible. This helps explain the low rate of plastic recycling because it suggests that the process of recycling plastic is more complicated and challenging than recycling glass.

c) This answer choice states that the manufacture of new plastic depletes oil reserves, while the manufacture of new glass uses renewable resources. This does not help explain the low rate of plastic recycling because it focuses on the production of new materials, rather than the recycling process. Therefore, this is the correct answer.

d) This answer choice explains that recycled plastic cannot be heated enough to sterilize it, unlike glass, which can be heated to thousands of degrees during the recycling process. This helps explain the low rate of plastic recycling because it suggests that recycling plastic is more difficult and less effective than recycling glass due to the limitations in the recycling process.

e) This answer choice states that plastic polymers tend to break down during the recycling process, weakening the resulting product, while glass does not break down. This helps explain the low rate of plastic recycling because it suggests that the quality of recycled plastic products is inferior to that of recycled glass products, making it less desirable to recycle plastic.

In summary, the correct answer is C because it does not help explain the relatively low rate of plastic recycling, as it focuses on the production of new materials rather than the recycling process itself.