Critical Reasoning

The recycling of municipal solid waste is widely seen as an environmentally preferable alternative to the prevailing practices of incineration and of dumping in landfills. Recycling is profitable, as the
recycling programs already in operation demonstrate. A state legislator proposes that communities should therefore be required to adopt recycling and to reach the target of recycling 50 percent of all solid waste within 5 years.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously calls into question the advisability of implementing the proposal?

(A) Existing recycling programs have been voluntary, with citizen participation ranging from 30 percent in some communities to 80
percent in others.

(B) Existing recycling programs have been restricted to that 20 percent of solid waste that, when reprocessed, can match processed raw
materials in quality and price.

(C) Existing recycling programs have had recurrent difficulties finding purchasers for their materials usually because of quantities too
small to permit cost-effective pickup and transportation.

(D) Some of the materials that can be recycled are the very materials that, when incinerated, produce the least pollution.

(E) Many of the materials that cannot be recycled are also difficult to incinerate.


OA later

IMO D.

But even if its D, I see so many issues with it So I am reserving my explanation.

one more try, gmatmachoman...

Its B....

To be profitable, only 20 % is allowed. So now increasing it to 50 %, certainly there will decrement in the quality.

So this would not be a feasible process for processors.

OA is B, but the explanantion was that it is unrealistic to reach the target of 50% if at present it is just 20%.

chaya009 wrote:OA is B, but the explanantion was that it is unrealistic to reach the target of 50% if at present it is just 20%.

Ok let me take the cue from OE and give a try.

Author says Recycling program is profitable.Agreed.Is that profitability based on any condition ?? Now this query asks us to "weaken/critisice" the governor's proposal.

B states that maximum allowed percentage of solid waste that can be recycled in 20% ,so that the new recycled product can match the rawmaterial in its quality & price.

So now increasing the "percentage of Recycling waste", we may dilute the quality of the product and also may be adding more cost for processing more waste.

These problems makes the Solid waste processors to criticise the governor's plan.

Got it gmatmachoman, you filled the gaps in the OE.

Thanks a lot.

Well I feel B is the answer. I guess I'm right. If some expert could throw light on the reasoning it would be a big help.