Q1. [3] medium exam-ready
Suggest three environment-friendly practices that can help an individual reduce the amount of non-biodegradable waste generated in daily life. Justify why each practice is effective.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 00:59 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Three environment-friendly practices to reduce non-biodegradable waste:
- Carry cloth bags while shopping — This avoids the use of plastic carry bags, which are non-biodegradable and persist in the environment for a very long time.
- Avoid disposable plastic items — Using reusable containers, cups, and bottles reduces the generation of plastic waste that cannot be broken down by biological processes.
- Choose products with minimal/biodegradable packaging — Changes in packaging have resulted in much of our waste becoming non-biodegradable, so selecting eco-friendly packaging directly reduces such waste.
Source: Our Environment, Section 13.2.2
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Explanation
- The question asks for three practices + justification, so each point must name the practice AND briefly explain why it works — that earns 1 mark each.
- The textbook directly states that "changes in packaging have resulted in much of our waste becoming non-biodegradable" and that non-biodegradable substances "persist in the environment for a long time or may harm the various members of the ecosystem." Use these ideas in justifications.
- Exercise Q3 lists cloth bags, switching off lights, and walking — carry bags is the most directly relevant to non-biodegradable waste. Build the other two from the chapter's discussion on plastics and packaging.
- Keep each justification to one sentence; don't over-explain.