High School

Which of the following is not considered hazardous waste?

A. E-waste pesticides
B. Plastic bottles
C. Compact fluorescent light bulbs
D. Automotive oil

Answer :

Final answer:

Plastic bottles are typically not considered hazardous waste because they do not exhibit characteristics such as being toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, highly flammable, corrosive, or explosive. The correct option is (b).

Explanation:

The question is focused on identifying which of the provided options is not considered hazardous waste. Options provided include e-waste pesticides, plastic bottles, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and automotive oil. According to environmental biology definitions, hazardous waste includes materials that are toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, highly flammable, corrosive, or explosive. Among these, e-waste, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and automotive oil are clearly classified as hazardous due to their contents of heavy metals or toxic chemicals. On the other hand, plastic bottles generally do not fall under the category of hazardous waste, as they do not typically exhibit any of the aforementioned hazardous characteristics despite being a significant contributor to pollution and environmental concerns due to their non-biodegradable nature.