Question

A charter school did a local beach cleanup. They collected a total of 55 pounds of plastic bottles and aluminum cans. The California refund value for plastic is $1.60 per pound and $1.28 per pound for aluminum. The school recycled a total of $77.60 worth of plastic and aluminum. How many pounds of each, plastic and aluminum, did the class collect?

Answer 1

Plastic is 22.5 pounds and aluminum is 32.5 pounds.

Explanation:

total junk = 55 pounds

Value of plastic = $ 1.60 per pound

Value of aluminum = $ 1.28 per pound

Total value= $ 77.60

Let the plastic is p and the aluminum is 55 - p.

Total cost

77.60 = 1.6 p + (55 - p) x 1.28

77.60 = 1.6 p + 70.4 - 1.28 p

7.2 = 0.32 p

p = 22.5 pounds

So, plastic is 22.5 pounds and aluminum is 32.5 pounds.