Can You Spot the Sustainable Swap? Test alternatives to steel, plastic, and cotton.

Q1. For some smaller-scale or low-rise building uses, which alternative is suggested as a renewable option that may have lower carbon impacts than conventional steel?
- Responsibly sourced wood or bamboo
- Virgin plastic
- Conventional cotton
- Carbon-fiber composites
Answer: Responsibly sourced wood or bamboo
Q2. Which material is still recommended for building applications that need long spans, structural strength, fire resistance, or complex designs?
- Bamboo
- Steel
- PLA bioplastic
- Recycled cotton
Answer: Steel
Q3. In the reviewed consumer-goods studies, which options generally had lower impacts than virgin plastics, although results varied by product and recycling process?
- Reuse and recycled materials
- Only bio-based plastics
- Only paper packaging
- New materials made from virgin plastic
Answer: Reuse and recycled materials
Q4. Which textile fiber can use about a third of the water used by organic cotton, but may have rough-feeling yarn and wrinkle?
- Hemp
- Recycled wool
- Tencel (lyocell)
- Recycled cotton
Answer: Hemp
Q5. What is a potential drawback of recycled cotton fabric compared with fabric made from new cotton fibers?
- It can be lower quality and more prone to pilling
- It requires raising sheep for new fiber
- It cannot be made from existing textiles
- It always uses more water than conventional cotton
Answer: It can be lower quality and more prone to pilling

lower environmental impact than virgin plastics materials

more CO2 emissions than cotton production

Can You Spot the Sustainable Swap? Test alternatives to steel, plastic, and

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