LSAT 8 | Section 4 | Logical Reasoning: Q24

LR Question 24 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Most disposable plastic containers are now labeled with…

QUESTION TYPE: Weaken

CONCLUSION: Consumers can make a significant long term reduction in the amount of waste that goes unrecycled if they don’t purchase items with a high recycling number.

REASONING: Manufacturers are less likely to recycle materials with a high number.

ANALYSIS: On this question there isn’t much to do except get the facts straight and keep an open mind. The right answer isn’t obvious until you read it and think about it.

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1. This could explain why manufacturers are reluctant to recycle. But since they still are recycling plastics despite the difference this doesn’t really weaken the argument.
2. The argument isn’t claiming that consumers will buy products with lower numbered codes. It just claims that good things will happen if they did. Consumers’ knowledge only affects whether consumers will purchase fewer high numbered plastics.
3. CORRECT. This means that 8s come from recycled 7s. If people stopped buying 8s then manufacturers could no longer recycle 7s (because no one would buy the resulting 8s). Eventually all recycling would stop.
4. Same as B. The argument is only making a claim about what will happen if people do as it says. It’s not predicting that people actually will purchase less high-numbered plastic.
5. The communities may still end up dumping the plastic quite frequently because many recyclers don’t recycle high numbered plastics.

Recap: The question begins with “Most disposable plastic containers are now labeled with”. It is a Weaken question. Learn more about LSAT Weaken questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.