State the trend shown in the percentage of waste recycled between 2001 and 2010.

Identify two countries that have not followed this general trend.

Identify one reason why some countries may have not followed this trend.

Evaluate the use of incineration as an alternative to recycling for the management of solid waste.

recycling has increased 

[1 max]

Any two from:

Norway (decrease)

Finland (decrease)

Malta (decrease)

Bulgaria (no change)

Turkey (no change)

Portugal (no change)

Iceland (no change)

[1 max]

already reached full capacity for recycling;
political change away from Green politics;
economic constraints making recycling too expensive;
rapid increase in waste due to expanding population;
generated less recyclable waste in 2010 than in 2001. 

Accept any other reasonable point.
Do not accept only political situation /no awareness of recycling /no regulation/use of incineration without a reason

[1 max]

Strengths of using incineration: [3 max]
cheaper/costs;
reduces amount of waste more quickly than recycling/incineration can be faster/quicker;
ash may be used as a raw material (e.g. road building/fertilizers);
can deal with waste that cannot be recycled;
can kill disease agents;
can reduce the toxicity of waste;
can produce energy.

Weaknesses of using incineration: [3 max]
residues still require disposal /residues require landfill space;
residues/ash from combustion can be toxic;
may produce undesirable air pollutants (such as carbon dioxide/GHGs/dioxins linked to cancer/linked to health problems);
transportation concerns/costs;
capacity limitations;
reluctance of some owners/operators/residents;
it does not reduce resource use as recycling does.

Appraisal / Conclusion which adequately considers both strengths and weaknesses of incineration and implies which side is stronger based on evidence provided. [1 max]

Note to examiners: An isolated statement eg “incineration has been better” or an unjustified opinion eg “I think incineration has been better” should not be considered as a valid conclusion. The conclusion must be supported/justified by points raised that must have at least addressed both sides of the argument. A valid conclusion may, however, be stated within the body of the response rather than at the end, and may involve some balanced decision.

[5 max]

The majority of candidates correctly answered this question.

The majority of candidates correctly answered this question.

Many candidates correctly answered this question.

Responses varied widely with some very good answers. A common error was to compare incineration to landfill rather than to recycling.