Sustainability & Recycling Quiz
How much energy does recycling one aluminum can save? How many gallons of gas does the average American consume in one year?
Find out by taking this quiz and testing your green knowledge.
Take a print screen of your results and email it to laurenf@missionfed. Com to be entered into a raffle for a cool prize!
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- 1.
On average, how many aluminum soda cans are used in the United States each year?
- A.
90 million
- B.
80 billion
- C.
120 million
- D.
3 billion
Correct Answer
B. 80 billionExplanation
Answer: B - We use over 80,000,000,000 aluminum soda cans every year, which are recyclable, can be made into a variety of aluminum products. There is no limit to the amount of times aluminum can be recycled.Rate this question:
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- 2.
What percentage of monetary purchasing goes to packaging materials?
- A.
$1 for every $10 spent
- B.
$1 for every $50 spent
- C.
$1 for every $100 spent
- D.
$1 for every $1,000 spent
Correct Answer
A. $1 for every $10 spentExplanation
Answer: A - One out of every $10 spent at stores is for packaging. Packaging accounts for 1/3 of our waste by weight or ½ or waste by volume.Rate this question:
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- 3.
How much energy does recycling just one aluminum can save?
- A.
Enough to power a microwave for 30 minutes
- B.
Enough to power the average American home for 4 days
- C.
Enough to power a computer for 15 minutes
- D.
Enough to power a TV for 3 hours
Correct Answer
D. Enough to power a TV for 3 hoursExplanation
Answer: D - Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours, this is the equivalent of a half a gallon of gasoline.Rate this question:
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- 4.
Recycling plastic saves ______ times as much energy as burning it in an incinerator.
- A.
2 times
- B.
0.5 times
- C.
3 times
- D.
None, it takes more energy to recycle
Correct Answer
A. 2 timesExplanation
Answer: A – Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator. Americans use 25 million plastic bottles every hour! Most of them are thrown away!Rate this question:
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- 5.
A typical glass bottle would take _____ years or more to decompose.
- A.
20 years
- B.
150 years
- C.
4,000 years
- D.
It will never break down
Correct Answer
C. 4,000 yearsExplanation
Answer: C – It will take the typical glass bottle 4000 years or more to decompose, even longer if it’s in a landfill!Rate this question:
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- 6.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) recommends turning off the monitor and placing the computer on sleep mode if you are not going to use it for more than _______.
- A.
2 hours
- B.
6 hours
- C.
45 minutes
- D.
20 minutes
Correct Answer
D. 20 minutesExplanation
Answer: D - It is estimated that $2.8 billion in 2008 went to energy costs to power unused computers in the workplace alone. The amount of energy used for this is estimated to release over 20 million tons of CO2 emissions...the equivalent of the emissions from approximately
4 million cars!
***Lose the screen saver- they use just as much energy as when the computer is in use!Rate this question:
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- 7.
Do items such as cell phone chargers, fans, coffeemakers, desktop printers, radios, etc. consume energy even when they are turned off?
- A.
Yes
- B.
No
- C.
No idea
- D.
Option 4
Correct Answer
A. YesExplanation
Answer: A - Yes: Items such as these use energy even when turned “off.” This energy is referred to as “Phantom Energy” and can amount to up to 5% of a building or home’s energy use! Unplug appliances when not in use or try plugging a couple of your devices into a surge protector that can be clicked on and off to make things easier.Rate this question:
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- 8.
Compact Florescent Lighting -CFLs- use ______ of the energy needed for incandescent bulbs.
- A.
25%
- B.
50%
- C.
75%
- D.
100%
Correct Answer
A. 25%Explanation
Answer: A - CFLs use only one-fourth the energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent lighting!Rate this question:
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- 9.
How many gallons of motor gasoline does the average American consume in one year?
- A.
150 gallons
- B.
500 gallons
- C.
310 gallons
- D.
750 gallons
Correct Answer
A. 150 gallonsExplanation
Answer: B – The average American consumes approximately 500 gallons of gasoline per year, whereas the average Canadian consumes approximately 310 gallons per year. Assuming burning one gallon of gasoline produces 20 pounds of CO2, the average American emits almost 2 tons more CO2 related to gasoline consumption than the average Canadian. Carpooling & taking alternate means of transportation can help cut down on gasoline consumption!Rate this question:
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- 10.
How much does the average American consume in paper, wood, and other products made from trees each year?
- A.
1 tree
- B.
5 trees
- C.
7 trees
- D.
15 trees
Correct Answer
A. 1 treeExplanation
Answer: C - The average American uses seven trees a year in paper, wood, and other products made from trees. Throughout the United States this amounts to about 2 billion trees per year!Rate this question:
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Quiz Review Timeline +
Our quizzes are rigorously reviewed, monitored and continuously updated by our expert board to maintain accuracy, relevance, and timeliness.
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Current Version
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Mar 22, 2023Quiz Edited by
ProProfs Editorial Team -
Dec 18, 2015Quiz Created by
Lfrancis2410
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