Section 3.6: Green Chemistry in Action: Choosing the Right Materials
Research This: The Dirt on Cleaning, page 121
A. Answers may vary. Students should take a clear position on whether it is better to use a green
cleaner or a conventional one. They should state the criteria they used to decide (e.g., human
health, environmental safety, economic costs). They should support their position with evidence
from credible and objective sources, gained through their research. Sample answer: It is better to
use a green cleaner because it is better for human health as well as for the environment. The
chemicals used in conventional cleaners can irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs of people who use
them.
B. Answers may vary. As many green cleaning products, such as baking soda, vinegar, and salt,
are very inexpensive, students should explain that only commercially prepared green cleaning
products are likely to be more costly than conventional cleaning products. They should take a
clear position on whether people will accept the higher cost of using a green cleaning product,
and justify their position.
Section 3.6 Questions, page 122
1. The four main principles in green chemistry outlined in Section 3.6 are sustainability,
promoting the use of less toxic materials, using materials that can be recycled, and the upcycling
of waste materials.
2. Answers may vary. Students should take a position on whether environmentally unfriendly
products should be taxed so that they are more expensive than green products, and defend their
position. Sample answer: Harmful products should be taxed so that they are more expensive than
green products. This would make consumers more aware of the availability of green products. It
would also push consumers to choose the cheaper, green product.
3. Answers may vary. Students should explain that shape memory in bioplastics is the ability of a
material to be deformed and then recover its initial shape in response to an environmental
stimulus such as a change in temperature. They should describe some applications in a visual
presentation. For example, one possible application is the creation of smart foods that would take
on a compact shape during storage and transport but then change shape when heat or water is
added. Another possibility is wearable electronics, such as cell phones and computers, which
could be shaped to suit our bodies.
4. Answers may vary depending on research. Students should research and explain how the
Common Threads Recycling Program works and report on the pros and cons of such initiatives.
Sample answer: The Common Threads Recycling Program is a program of Patagonia, a company
that makes clothing and outdoor gear. People can wash old Patagonia garments and return them
to Patagonia for recycling. Polyester and nylon clothes are melted down and made into new fibre
of the same quality as the original. Organic cotton and wool clothes are chopped up and spun
into fibre of useful but lesser quality.
Copyright © 2011 Nelson Education Ltd. Chapter 3: Molecular Compounds and Intermolecular Forces 3.6-1
5. Answers may vary depending on research. Students should research and identify how
TerraCycle solves the problem for recycling industries of obtaining very specific items as raw
materials. Sample answer: TerraCycle starts by looking at garbage and isolates a stream, then
looks at what it can be used for as a material. The company creates collection programs for a
wide variety of types of non-recyclable waste. These collection programs are called “brigades.”
There are brigades for many different types of waste, ranging from candy wrappers to pens.
People can sign up to a brigade, start collecting the specific waste item, and then ship it to
TerraCycle. For many of these brigades, the shipping is free and TerraCycle makes a
contribution of $0.02 per unit of waste to a charity or school of the person’s choice. TerraCycle
also leverages this strategy through partnerships with product producers and suppliers.
6. Answers may vary. Students should research eco-fees, and then take a position on whether
eco-fees on consumer services and products are a good idea, giving reasons for their decision.
Sample answer: An eco-fee is a levy that manufacturers must pay the government for recycling
their products. Some companies pass on these costs, which range from a few cents to several
dollars per product, onto consumers. Examples of products with eco-fees include aerosol
containers, pharmaceuticals, syringes, mercury-containing devices and other toxic, corrosive, or
flammable products.
7. Answers may vary depending on research. Students should research and explain some current
uses of electrically conducive plastics made from petrochemicals, and list some of the pros and
cons associated with the use of these materials. Sample answer: Plastic has many valuable
attributes, but until recently, a drawback of plastic has been its lack of electrical conductivity.
Then, in 2000, Alan MacDiarmid, Alan Heeger, and Hideki Shirakawa were awarded the Nobel
Prize in Chemistry for the discovery and development of conductive polymers, and engineers are
now creating a wide variety of plastics that are electrically conductive. Conductive plastics are
much less conductive than metals, but they are useful in products where space and weight
considerations are critical, such as automobiles, aircraft and portable consumer electronics. Highperformance conducting polymers are being developed for many new applications, including
solar cells and bio-related applications.
Copyright © 2011 Nelson Education Ltd. Chapter 3: Molecular Compounds and Intermolecular Forces 3.6-2