Question

Use the passage from an argument to answer the following question.

Food is the largest and most valuable part of the packaged products industry in the United States. As such, the waste from packaged products contributes a great amount to ocean pollution. For example, only 30% of plastic water bottles made are recycled. Most of the rest end up in the ocean, where it breaks down into microplastics that pollute water and poison sea life. The best solution to this problem is to remove its cause entirely: banning plastic in the food packaging industry.
Which sentence addresses a relevant counterclaim fairly and thoroughly?

(1 point)
Responses

Plastic packaging reduces food waste, which causes greater harm to the environment than plastic pollution.
Plastic packaging reduces food waste, which causes greater harm to the environment than plastic pollution.

Producing alternatives, like aluminum foil and paper, also contributes to water pollution.
Producing alternatives, like aluminum foil and paper, also contributes to water pollution.

Banning plastic in food packaging will increase production and shipping costs, which in turn will increase the cost of packaged foods.
Banning plastic in food packaging will increase production and shipping costs, which in turn will increase the cost of packaged foods.

Simply enforcing the proper disposal of plastic would more feasibly solve the plastic problem in our oceans than an outright ban.
Simply enforcing the proper disposal of plastic would more feasibly solve the plastic problem in our oceans than an outright ban.
Skip to navigation

Answer 1

Producing alternatives, like aluminum foil and paper, also contributes to water pollution.

This response acknowledges a relevant opposing point (that banning plastic might just shift pollution to other materials) and fairly explains why the proposed ban might not fully solve the problem.