During a study visit to Rotterdam, students examined Fig. 1, a diagram of a circular-economy system for old smartphones. Phones are collected at shops, chec...
Question 1 Report
During a study visit to Rotterdam, students examined Fig. 1, a diagram of a circular-economy system for old smartphones. Phones are collected at shops, checked for reuse, repaired where possible, or dismantled to recover metals. Materials then return to manufacturers. The city wants to reduce the amount of electronic waste exported to lower-income countries. Some consumers replace phones frequently because new models have improved cameras, while repair businesses argue that batteries and screens should be easier to remove. Use the figure to consider how consumption choices can affect global resources.
(a) Identify the stage in Fig. 1 at which a working phone is sold again. [1]
(b) Describe one environmental problem caused by sending electronic waste to landfill. [1]
(c) Explain two ways designing phones for repair could reduce global resource use. [2]
(d) Explain one reason why some consumers may still buy a new phone rather than repair an old one. [2]
Answer Details
(a) A working phone is sold again at the reuse or resale stage. [1]
(b) If electronic waste is sent to landfill, toxic substances can leak into soil or water. It also wastes valuable metals that could have been recovered. Either point gains credit. [1]
(c) Designing a phone so that batteries and screens can be removed makes repair easier. Repair extends the phone's useful life, so fewer replacement phones have to be manufactured. This reduces demand for mining of raw materials and for energy in manufacturing. [2]
(d) Consumers may choose a new phone if repair is expensive or takes too long. They may also want improved features, such as a better camera, or find that an old phone no longer works reliably. [2]
Exam focus: In a circular economy, reuse and repair reduce resource demand by delaying replacement, not merely by dealing with waste after disposal.
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