Final answer:
The student's mathematics problem requires solving an equation to find out that the office had 132 kilograms of paper collected by the recycling company. It involves a base collection fee and a variable rate per kilogram, similar to real-world waste reduction programs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question involves solving for the amount of recyclable paper collected based on the total charge by a recycling company. The company charges a $20.00 collection fee and $0.30 per kilogram of paper collected. The office paid a total of $59.60, and we need to determine how many kilograms of paper were collected.
To solve this, we can set up the following equation: 20 + 0.30x = 59.60, where x represents the number of kilograms of paper collected. Solving for x, we subtract 20 from both sides of the equation to get 0.30x = 39.60. Next, we divide both sides by 0.30 to find the value of x, which represents the kilograms of paper collected. So, x equals 39.60 divided by 0.30, which is 132 kilograms. Therefore, the office had 132 kilograms of paper collected by the recycling company last week.
This problem mirrors real-world scenarios where incentives for reducing waste, such as the "pay as you throw" programs, encourage recycling. A similar concept applies in more complex economic scenarios involving pollution charges and marketable permits aimed at reducing environmental impact in a cost-effective manner.