Lesson 4.6.2

4.6.2 Sustainability of plant fibres and starch Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Biology A (Salters-Nuffield), Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.6.2, Sustainability of plant fibres and starch: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) (9BI0), Unit 4: Biodiversity and Natural Resources, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. How are plant fibres such as flax or hemp useful as sustainable materials?

    • They can only be used once and cannot be recycled or reused
    • They are renewable and can replace oil-based materials
    • They are formed from fossil fuels in a few days
    • They contain no cellulose and so are non-renewable

  2. What does sustainability mean in this context?

    • Meeting present needs without harming future needs
    • Producing the cheapest product regardless of environmental impact
    • Removing all human activity from the environment
    • Using as much energy as possible in the shortest time

  3. Why does using plant-based materials instead of oil-based plastics help reduce carbon dioxide release?

    • Growing plants absorb CO2, offsetting emissions
    • Plant-based materials release no carbon dioxide at any stage
    • Plant-based materials contain no carbon
    • Oil-based plastics absorb carbon dioxide during manufacture

  4. Which statement is a limitation of replacing oil-based plastics with plant-based alternatives?

    • Plant-based plastics cannot be shaped into products
    • Plant-based materials do not contain carbon
    • Crops need land and water that compete with food
    • Crops cannot be grown on any land at all

  5. Biodegradable plastics made from starch differ from conventional plastics mainly because they:

    • Never change their properties during use
    • Can be broken down by microorganisms over time
    • Cannot be shaped into any products
    • Are made from fossil hydrocarbons

  6. Why are plant fibres with thick cellulose walls useful for making composites?

    • They contain lipids that make the material waterproof
    • They add strength and stiffness to a matrix
    • They dissolve in water and form a solid mass
    • They contain amino acids that bind to plastic

  7. A company compares a starch bioplastic and an oil-based plastic. Which measure best assesses sustainability?

    • Life cycle analysis of production to disposal
    • The number of colours the product comes in
    • The price of the product in a single shop
    • The colour of the product only

  8. Which factor could make a plant-based product less sustainable than expected?

    • Recycling the product at the end of its life
    • Growing the crop on land with a low fertiliser input
    • Using renewable crop material as the feedstock
    • Heavy fertiliser use and long transport from distant farms

  9. Why is it important to evaluate starch use as a plastic feedstock against food demand?

    • Starch cannot be used for any purpose except plastics
    • Using starch for plastics makes food more abundant
    • Starch used for plastics is removed from the carbon cycle
    • Using crops for materials may reduce supply for food and raise prices

  10. Plant fibre tensile strength is measured in core practical 8. What does a higher tensile strength indicate?

    • The fibre has fewer cellulose microfibrils
    • The fibre needs a greater force to break it when pulled
    • The fibre is more easily digested by enzymes
    • The fibre contains more water and is more flexible

  11. A student tests tensile strength of fibres with different lengths and finds the longest fibres break at the lowest force. What is the best explanation?

    • Length has no effect on any measured property
    • Longer fibres are always stronger in tension
    • Longer fibres contain more weak points, so they break under lower load
    • Longer fibres have more cellulose in every cross-section

  12. What is the main environmental advantage of biodegradable plant-based packaging over conventional plastics in landfill?

    • It breaks down, reducing long-term accumulation of persistent waste
    • It releases more toxic chemicals than oil-based plastics
    • It never degrades in any environment
    • It makes landfill sites grow larger

  13. A wooden product is compared with a plastic product. Which factor most supports the wooden product's sustainability claim?

    • It cannot be recycled or reused
    • It requires no water or land to produce
    • It comes from a managed, replanted source
    • It is always the heaviest option available

  14. Why are plant-derived starch products attractive for food packaging?

    • They are impossible to break down in soil
    • They are made from oil refinery waste only
    • They release nitrate into the air as they degrade
    • They are renewable and compostable

  15. A product lifecycle includes growing, processing, using and disposing. Which stage is most important for sustainability of a plant-based plastic?

    • Only the growing stage, because it has no further impact
    • Only the disposal stage, because other stages have no impact
    • Only the packaging stage, because it uses the most energy
    • Every stage, because impacts at each point affect the final assessment

  16. Which plant fibre and starch use best illustrates sustainability?

    • Mining plant fibres from non-renewable deposits
    • Using starch only as a food for livestock with no other use
    • Starch plastics: renewable and biodegradable
    • Burning cellulose to produce heat with no product recovery

  17. Why are plant-based plastics seen as more sustainable than oil-based plastics?

    • They never break down in the environment
    • They are produced without any energy input
    • They are made from fossil fuels by a faster process
    • They use renewable plant material, not fossil oil

  18. Which statement correctly describes the sustainability trade-off of plant-based products?

    • Plant-based products have no environmental impact at all
    • Plant-based products always use less land than oil extraction
    • Plant fibres cannot replace any plastic products
    • Crops use land and water, so impacts need weighing

  19. Starch used to make bioplastic is a polymer of which monomer?

    • Amino acid
    • Fructose
    • Beta-glucose
    • Alpha-glucose

  20. What does it mean if a bioplastic is described as compostable?

    • Microbes break it down into natural materials
    • It cannot break down in any natural environment
    • It is made from metal oxides that remain in the soil
    • It releases fossil carbon as methane during breakdown

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