高校生用｜英語長文問題87（環境）137語＋和訳・解答解説

Plastic waste has become the emblem of a throwaway economy: it lingers in oceans, fragments into microplastics, and quietly infiltrates food chains. Biodegradable materials are often marketed as a clean exit, yet their value depends on conditions that everyday life rarely supplies. Many “compostable” plastics break down only in industrial facilities with controlled heat, moisture, and airflow; in landfills or seawater they may persist nearly as long as conventional packaging. Even when they do degrade, the process can release methane if oxygen is scarce, shifting the problem rather than solving it. A more honest strategy weighs full life-cycle impacts: reduce unnecessary packaging, design products for reuse, and reserve biodegradables for cases where recovery systems are realistic—such as food-soiled items collected with organic waste. Clear labeling, strict standards, and accessible composting infrastructure determine whether “green” plastics truly vanish.

Which TWO statements are NOT supported by the passage?

1. Compostable plastics often require tightly managed industrial processing conditions.
2. In low-oxygen settings, breakdown can produce methane as a byproduct.
3. The passage favors cutting packaging and expanding reuse over quick fixes.
4. Biodegradable materials reliably decompose in oceans without special facilities.
5. The author argues biodegradables should replace most packaging immediately.
6. Labels, standards, and composting access shape whether eco-plastics truly help.