Plastic is everywhere these days, but it is one of the world’s largest problems. The modern world relies heavily on plastic, especially single-use plastic. Is there a way to break out of plastic’s grip on us? This quiz will test your knowledge about the issue of waste and plastic, and possible solutions.
1.) Each year, the U.S. produces ______ tons of trash.
A. 100 million
B. 230 million
C. 300 million
D. 450 million
2.) ___ of the United States trash is recyclable.
A. 80%
B. 40%
C. 10%
D. 95%
3.) Each year, 1.4 billion pounds of trash ends up in the _______.
A. Arctic
B. Antarctic
C. Ocean
D. Landfill
4.) Last week, a sperm whale washed ashore in eastern Indonesia with ____ pounds of trash in its stomach
A. 5
B. 13
C. 33
D. 50
5.) The U.S. uses around ___ _______ plastic water bottles each year.
A. 25 million
B. 100 million
C. 50 billion
D. 1 trillion
6.) A viral video of a plastic straw being pulled from a _________ nose sparked a movement where people began ditching plastic straws.
A. Turtle’s
B. Dolphin’s
C. Seal’s
D. Octopus’
7.) At UW-Stout, plastics marked _______ can be recycled.
A. Recyclable
B. #1-7
C. #1
D. Do Not Throw Away
8.) Alternatives to plastic straws include paper, sea weed material, __________, and stainless steel.
A. Bamboo
B. Stone
C. Tin
D. Oak leaves
9.) Many countries have banned disposable plastic shopping bags, including ______, Italy, China, and Bangladesh.
A. United States
B. Australia
C. Rwanda
D. Germany
10.) If you bring your own reusable travel mug to Starbucks, they will take ____ off your drink.
A. 10 cents
B. 50 cents
C. $1.00
D. $2.00
Answers:
1.) B- The U.S. produces 230 million tons of trash each year, which equals 4.6 pounds of trash per person each day.
2.) A- 80% of the garbage that the U.S. throws away is recyclable. We only recycle 28% of items that can be recycled.
3.) C- Each year, 1.4 billion pounds of trash ends up in the ocean. That is the equivalent of one garbage truck full of plastic being dumped in the ocean every minute.
4.) B- Recently a sperm whale washed ashore with 13 pounds of plastic in it’s stomach. The contents included 115 drinking cups, 25 plastic bags, plastic bottles, two flip-flops, and a bag containing more than 1,000 pieces of string.
5.) C- The U.S. uses around 50 billion plastic water bottles each year. Only 23% of the bottles are recycled, which means there are 38 billion plastic water bottles that are not being recycled.
6.) A- The viral video that sparked the movement to ban plastic straws was of a plastic straw being pulled from a sea turtles nose. Many people watching the video were outraged, and the use of reusable drinking straws gained popularity.
7.) B- Plastics marked #1-7 can be recycled at Stout. Most plastic bottles can be recycled here, but it’s still a good idea to check.
8.) A- Common plastic straw alternatives include paper, sea weed material, and bamboo. Glass, stainless steel, and food-grade silicone can also be used.
9.) C- Countries that have banned disposable plastic shopping bags include Rwanda, Italy, China, and Bangladesh. Hawaii and North Carolina have banned plastic bags, along with Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco.
10.) A- Starbucks takes 10 cents off your drink if you bring your own reusable travel mug.