Question

Hailey is preparing a debate on the benefits of using synthetic polymers over natural polymers, and she wants to create a list to get started.

What of these should Hailey include in her list?

Synthetic polymers are biodegradable.
Synthetic polymers are not flexible.
Synthetic polymers are recycled cheaply.
Synthetic polymers are inexpensive to produce.

Answer 1

Hailey should include the following points in her list of benefits for synthetic polymers over natural polymers:

1. **Synthetic polymers are inexpensive to produce**: This is a significant benefit as many synthetic polymers can be mass-produced at a lower cost than natural polymers.

However, she should not include the other statements in the list as benefits because:

- **Synthetic polymers are biodegradable**: This is generally not true. Most synthetic polymers are not biodegradable and can pose environmental challenges.

- **Synthetic polymers are not flexible**: This is misleading. While some synthetic polymers may not be flexible, many are designed to be quite flexible depending on their application.

- **Synthetic polymers are recycled cheaply**: This varies by type of polymer and the recycling process, and it is not universally true that synthetic polymers are recycled cheaply. Many synthetic polymers are difficult and expensive to recycle.

In summary, Hailey should focus on the affordability of synthetic polymer production as a key benefit.