Question

polyester is a synthetic material used for many different purposes. it is produced from petroleum and natural gas. producing polyester from these natural resources requires many steps and uses other chemicals that are potentially harmful. polyester production also requires a lot of energy. although polyester is not biodegradable, it is easily recyclable.
which statement about synthetic materials is best supported by the example of polyester?
a. using synthetic materials has a negative impact on the environment, but using natural materials does not.
b. materials that are created from natural resources affect the environment more than those that are not
c. synthetic materials created from petroleum and natural gas are difficult to produce and to recycle.
d. producing certain synthetic materials could have a greater environmental impact than disposing of them.

Explanation:

The text states polyester (a synthetic material from petroleum/natural gas) uses harmful chemicals and lots of energy in production (high environmental impact) but is easily recyclable (lower disposal impact). Option A is incorrect because it claims natural materials have no environmental impact (untrue). Option B is unsupported as no comparison to non-natural resource materials is given. Option C is wrong because polyester is easy to recycle. Option D aligns: production’s impact (harmful chemicals, energy) may exceed disposal’s (easily recyclable).

Answer:

D. Producing certain synthetic materials could have a greater environmental impact than disposing of them.