Deciding Where to Put a New Recycling Point
A school of 600 students wants to place one new recycling point for plastic bottles. Three possible sites are proposed. Site A is in the main corridor near the entrance: about 400 students pass it daily, but the corridor is narrow and a bin there could block emergency exit routes. Site B is in the courtyard: about 250 students pass daily, the space is wide, but the bin would be exposed to rain. Site C is next to the canteen: about 300 students pass daily, it is sheltered, and most bottles are bought at the canteen. The school has 300 BAM; a weatherproof bin costs 120 BAM, a standard bin costs 60 BAM, and a sign costs 25 BAM. The fire-safety rule requires exits and escape routes to stay at least 1.2 m wide.
1. Evaluate all three sites against safety, cost and likely use, and recommend one.
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Site A: Highest footfall (400/day) but the corridor is narrow and a bin could narrow an escape route below the required 1.2 m. Safety rules take priority over convenience, so A is rejected unless a survey shows the route stays wide enough - which the setup does not confirm.
Site B: Wide space, so no safety conflict, and 250 passers-by daily. But it is exposed to rain, so a standard 60 BAM bin would fill with water and the recyclables would be spoiled; a weatherproof bin costs 120 BAM. Cost is affordable but the site is less used.
Site C: Sheltered, so a standard 60 BAM bin is enough. 300 students pass daily and most bottles are bought at the canteen, so the bin is close to where the waste is produced - the strongest predictor of use.
Recommendation: Site C. It avoids the safety problem at A, avoids the weather problem and extra cost at B, and places the bin where bottles are generated.
2. Show that the recommended option fits the budget, including a sign, and state one way to measure whether it works.
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Cost: Standard bin 60 BAM + sign 25 BAM = 85 BAM, leaving 300 − 85 = 215 BAM from the budget. This is well within the 300 BAM limit, and the saving could fund a second bin or a collection container later. (Even the weatherproof bin at Site B would cost 120 + 25 = 145 BAM, which also fits, so cost alone does not decide the choice - safety and location do.)
Measurement: Count bottles collected per week and compare with the amount of plastic in general waste before and after installation. If the recycling bin fills quickly and general-waste plastic falls, the site is working. A simple weekly tally by a class is enough; no special equipment is needed.