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[[cite:1]][[cite:2]]
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[[cite:3]]
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[[cite:4]]
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[[cite:5]][[cite:6]]
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[[cite:7]][[cite:8]]

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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