Passage

In only 50 years, the world's consumption of raw materials has nearly quadrupled, to more than 100 billion tons. Less than 9% of this is reused. Batteries of old vehicles contain materials such as lithium, cobalt, manganese and nickel that are pricey and can be hard to obtain. Supply chains are long and complicated. Buyers' risks are being aggravated by their suppliers' poor environmental and labour standards. Reusing materials makes sense. Once batteries reach the ends of their lives, they should go back to a factory where their ingredients can be recovered and put into new batteries.

QUESTION

CSAT

Medium

Comprehension

Prelims 2025

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

I. Automobile factories are examples of the circular economy. II. Economic growth is compatible with circular use of mineral resources.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

Select an option to attempt

Explanation

Statement I is incorrect: The passage only suggests that batteries should be returned to factories for material recovery, not that automobile factories are already functioning as circular economy models.

Statement II is correct: The passage states that reusing materials makes sense and allows valuable minerals to be recovered, implying that economic growth can continue while using resources circularly.