IELTS|Adults|Advanced|Unit 5|1. Is plastic fantastic?

1. How would our daily lives be without plastic?

List six objects made of plastic that you use regularly. Then decide with a partner whether each object could be made from another material, such as metal, glass or paper.

2. Why are so many products made of plastic?

Discuss this question in groups of four, considering the factors below.

Cost

Weight

Safety

Versatility

3. Each choose one of the factors from exercise 2 and make some notes, which you will use in a brief presentation later in this lesson.

Include examples of plastic products to illustrate your ideas.

Collocations

1. Check you understand the words in the box.

Then select words that collocate with verbs 1-8 below. (Two words aren’t used.) List all possible collocations. You will hear some in the next listening task.

accidentally	consumption		corrosion
efficiently	energy	fresh	functional
healthier	needs	quietly	resources

Test spot

In IELTS Listening Section 2, you will hear a monologue on a general topic. There are likely to be two different question types within the section, for example sentence and table completion. For these particular tasks short answers are required and you must read the instructions carefully to find out how many words to use (a maximum of one, two or three). You may have to write a number for some questions.

1. You are going to hear two separate recordings about the uses of plastics.

Before you listen to each recording, identify what kind of information is missing, and predict possible answers with a partner. Then listen carefully and fill in the spaces.

Questions 1-5

There are so many different types of plastic, and if» such a Versatile material, that it $ now used in thousands of ways, and we find it difficult to Imagine living without it. Plastics arc the choice for so many products featuring in different areas of our live at the moment, from car parts to toy parts, from soft drink bottles to the refrigerator they’re stored in. I believe that there arc three main reasons why plastics have scored over other materials in satisfying the consumer’s needs.These are — safety, performance and, last but not least, value.

Just consider the changes we’ve seen in the food retail business in recent year. The introduction of plastic bottles has meant that even an economy-size bottle of juice can easily be lifted glass is much heavier, of course. And should you accidentally drop that bottle, it’s far less likely to break. Plastic wrap helps keep food fresh and free from contamination which is particularly important with meat. In each case, plastics help to make your life easier, healthier and. of course, safer.

Plastic also help you get maximum value from some of the high- cost items you need to buy. I hey ensure that cellphones and laptop Computers really are light and easy to carry. They help to make sure that major appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers will resist the corrosive effects of moisture and certain chemicals, which guarantees they’ll last longer. These appliances also operate more efficiently thanks to the use of plastic.

Food safety is of key importance to the consumer, and packaging such as heal scaled plastic pouches and wraps means the resources that went into producing the food in the first place aren’t wasted It’s the same thing once you get the food borne, when resealable plastic containers keep your leftovers protected. In fact packaging experts have estimated that every kilo of plastic packaging can cut food waste by 3.74 kilos. That’s a statistic that wry few people are aware of.

Plastics also help to conserve energy in your home, lowering your heating and cooling — bills by cutting electricity consumption. Indeed, plastic parts and insulation haw helped to improve the energy efficiency of air conditioners by up to 50 per cent since the 1970s. And these appliances run more quietly than earlier designs that used other materials.

In short, I believe plastics arc a very good thing for the human race!

Questions 1-5

Complete the sentences below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND / OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Questions 6-10

Questions 6-10

In the opinion of a growing number of environmental campaigners, the plastic bag is an unnecessary and damaging item that we should get rid of at all costs. This simple innovation, which was welcomed in the 1950s as an attractive modern material with many practical applications, is now seen by many as a major source of pollution.

1957 saw the launch of the sandwich bag, first produced and promoted in the USA as a good way of keeping lunchtime snacks fresh and clean. American companies quickly recognised the value of plastic bags, and, by 1966, the bread industry, for instance. used them for about one third of packaging.

But it wasn’t just in the area of food packaging that the plastic bag was beginning to enjoy success. In 1969 ‘the New York City Experiment’ showed how much cleaner, safer and quieter it was to use plastic bags in garbage collection, and the public soon started to line their metal trash cans with specially produced bags.

However, even in the late 1960s, people were still bringing home their shopping in baskets or brown paper sacks. The commercial didn’t start until 1973, with the opening of the first manufacturing plant. The plastic carrier bag soon became an indispensable part of everyone’s life, something that governments and campaigner worldwide are now trying to reverse.

In 2002, for example, the Irish government introduced a new tax payable by consumers of fifteen cents a bag, which, in the two years following its introduction, raised 23 million euros for environmental projects. In the same sear. the government of another country. Bangladesh, had to take a more drastic approach, banning the production of plastic bags and introducing an on-the-spot fine for using one. Since then, many governments have introduced similar measures and it now seems that the days of die plastic bag may indeed be numbered.

Complete the notes below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND / OR A NUMBER for each answer.

A history of the Plastic bag

Test spot

In the Speaking Module, you will have to talk on a topic for up to two minutes. During the minute you are given to prepare for this, decide how you will introduce and link your ideas. Remember to include some examples to support what you say.

1. Can you add any more ideas or product examples from the recordings?

2. Present your ideas, focusing on the factor you chose (cost, weight, etc.). Use some of the sentence openers below to structure your ideas. Try to keep talking for at least one minute.

Useful language

Introducing

I’m going to talk about…

The aspect/factor/issue I’ve looked at is…

What I’m going to cover is…

Explaining

The main reason why…

Most importantly….

Last but not least,…

Exemplifying

Consider…, for example.

Take… as one example of…

In the case of…

3. Read the diary entries below and say which everyday problem is being illustrated. Does this happen to you? Why, or why not?

4. Describe the process shown in this diagram, using the underlined words as part of the present simple passive.

1. Read the above article about the plastic bag. How serious a problem does the writer consider this form of pollution to be?

* about 600 words

For a growing number of people, the humble plastic bag has become an unnecessary evil that must be stopped. Discarded carrier bags litter our towns and countryside, they kill wildlife and hang around in the environment for decades. Landfill operators dislike them for their annoying habit of being blown away hum their intended burial site. The only people who have a good word to say about them are those in the plastic-bag industry. Big surprise, you might say, but in fact, the industry’s arguments do make some sense. Objectively, plastic bags are nowhere near the world’s worst environmental problem. The reason they are being picked on, the industry claims, is because they are an easy and emotive target.

Like it or not, the plastic bag has become a part of our is lives, and today most people around the world don’t use anything else to carry their shopping in. Depending on who is asked, the UK gets through somewhere between 9 billion and 17 billion plastic bags a year. Globally, we carry home between 500 billion and a trillion annually, which is 150 bags a year for every single person on Earth, or, to put it another way, a million a minute and rising. Shocking as these statistics are, they don’t explain why plastic bags have become so hated.

Given that there are far more voracious uses of fossil fuels than the production of high-density polyethylene used to make the bags, the argument is possibly more about aesthetics than wasting resources. After they have been carried home, bags may be re-used once, but most end up at landfill sites. A proportion will try to escape somewhere along the way, blustering around the streets or flapping annoyingly in trees. This irritating habit has earned them a variety of nicknames round the world, such as ‘white pollution’ in China, and the ‘national flower’ in South Africa.

Plastic bags can also have a devastating effect on sea creatures. There have been a number of cases recently where they have been ingested by turtles and whales, leading to internal obstruction and death. The Planet Ark Environmental Foundation in Sydney, Australia, estimates that tens of thousands of whales, seals, turtles and birds are killed every year from plastic bag litter, far out at sea. Yet at the seaside, plastic bags make up only a tiny proportion of actual litter, with plastic bottles featuring higher in the list.

According to the Carrier Bag Consortium, a group of UK suppliers which was set up in 2002 to fight the anti-bag campaign, measures like the Irish bag tax have done nothing to reduce the consumption or solve the problem of disposal of plastic bags. The Consortium likes to point out that plastic bags have among the highest re-use rates of any disposable product and, what is more, they so are more energy-efficient to manufacture and transport than bulkier, heavier alternatives like paper or cardboard. Unsurprisingly, the industry takes issue with being blamed for General environmental irresponsibility.

So if plastic bags aren’t as bad as they are made out to be, are governments and green campaigners jumping on the wrong bandwagon? Well, yes and no. While the plastic carrier may have been made a scapegoat, it is also true that if you want people to think about sustainability, an everyday object that most of them already feel guilty er about is a good place to start. Governments have realised that by focusing on something so symbolic, they can get messages across to people about their behaviour and how the environment is and will continue to be affected by it, unless we all undertake some lifestyle changes.

2. Answer questions 1-8. To locate the information, underline key words and match them to a word or phrase in the passage that is similar in meaning. The words for 1 have been underlined for you.

Test spot

If you are asked to complete notes or sentences with words from the reading passage, you must use these words, rather than other words that mean the same. Make sure you copy the words correctly, as you will lose marks for incorrect spelling.

Passive forms

The passive + infinitive

Passive forms of verbs like say, think, claim are often followed by an infinitive, particularly in academic writing:

Plastic bags are sometimes claimed to be the worst form of pollution.

Non-finite passives

The infinitive and -ing form can be passive (in bold).

Many people want the production of plastic bags to be reduced.

Sea creatures risk being harmed by plastic bags.

1. Complete these sentences using the passive form of the verbs in brackets.

Passives

2. Complete the sentences with a verb from the box, writing it in the passive form given in brackets.

be find invent keep make relate use

EXAMPLE: Food storage (modal perfect passive) must have been very different before the invention of plastics.

3. Finish the second sentences so that they mean the same as the first, using passive forms. The agent with by is not always needed.

EXAMPLE:

Active packaging keeps food fresh for longer.
Food _____ .
Food is kept fresh for longer by active packaging.

WORDLIST

versatile /ˈvɜː.sə.taɪl/ /ˈvɝː.sə.t̬ə l/ adjective APPROVING
able to change easily from one activity to another or able to be used for many different purposes
He’s a very versatile young actor who’s as happy in horror films as he is in TV comedies.
A leather jacket is a timeless and versatile garment that can be worn in all seasons.
versatility /ˌvɜː.səˈtɪl.ɪ.ti/ /ˌvɝː.səˈtɪl.ə.t̬i/ noun [ U ] – the quality of being versatile (=able to change easily or to be used for different purposes)
I have chosen these recipes to show the versatility of vegetables.
performance /pəˈfɔː.mən t s/ /pɚˈfɔːr-/ noun DO
1. [ C or U ] how well a person, machine, etc. does a piece of work or an activity
Some athletes take drugs to improve their performance.
High- performance (= Fast, powerful and easy to control) cars are the most expensive.
This was a very impressive performance by the young player, who scored 12 points within the first 10 minutes.
moisture /ˈmɔɪs.tʃə r / /-tʃɚ/ noun [ U ]
a liquid such as water in the form of very small drops, either in the air, in a substance, or on a surface
These plants need a rich soil which retains moisture.

pouch /paʊtʃ/ noun [ C ] BAG
1. a bag or soft container for a small object or a small amount of something
All our electric shavers are supplied with a free travel pouch.
Food sealed in foil pouches lasts for a long time.
resealable UK /ˌriːˈsiː.lə.bəl/ US /ˌriːˈsiː.lə.bəl/ used for describing describing containers that can be sealed (=closed tightly) again after they have been opened
resealable sandwich bags
sanitation /ˌsæn.ɪˈteɪ.ʃ ə n/ noun [ U ]
the systems for taking dirty water and other waste products away from buildings in order to protect people’s health
Many illnesses in these temporary refugee camps are the result of inadequate sanitation.
indispensable /ˌɪn.dɪˈspen t .sə.bl ̩/ adjective
Something or someone that is indispensable is so good or important that you could not manage without them
This book is an indispensable resource for researchers.
His long experience at the United Nations makes him indispensable to the talks.
on the spot
a. at the place where an event is happening or has recently happened
The police were called and they were on the spot within three minutes.
b. immediately
You can be sacked on the spot for stealing.

stash /stæʃ/ verb [ T ] INFORMAL
to store or hide something, especially a large amount
The stolen pictures were stashed (away) in a London warehouse.
landfill /ˈlæn d .fɪl/ noun [ C or U ]
getting rid of large amounts of rubbish by burying it, or a place where rubbish is buried
Ninety per cent of American rubbish is dumped in landfill sites.
incinerate /ɪnˈsɪn. ə r.eɪt/ /-ə.reɪt/ verb [ T ]
to burn something completely
to incinerate waste
The spacecraft and its crew were incinerated by the billion-degree temperatures generated by the fireball.
voracious /vəˈreɪ.ʃəs/ adjective
very eager for something, especially a lot of food
He has a voracious appetite (= he eats a lot) .
He’s a voracious reader of historical novels (= He reads a lot of them eagerly and quickly).
bluster /ˈblʌs.tə r / /-tɚ/ verb [ I ]
2. If the wind blusters, it blows strongly
A gale was blustering round the house.

flap /flæp/ verb -pp- WAVE
1. [ I or T ] to wave something, especially wings when or as if flying
A small bird flapped its wings furiously and flew upwards.
Flags flapped in the breeze above their tents.
bulky /ˈbʌl.ki/ adjective
too big and taking up too much space
bulky equipment
bandwagon /ˈbæn d ˌwæg. ə n/ noun [ C usually singular ]
an activity, group, movement, etc. that has become successful or fashionable and so attracts many new people
a bandwagon effect
sustainability /səˌsteɪ.nəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/ /-ə.ti̬/ noun [ U ]
the quality of causing little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time
the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability
scapegoat /ˈskeɪp.gəʊt/ /-goʊt/ noun [ C ]
a person who is blamed for something that someone else has done
The captain was made a scapegoat for the team’s failure.
renewable /rɪˈnjuː.ə.bl / / ̩ -ˈnuː-/ adjective
1. describes a form of energy that can be produced as quickly as it is used
renewable energy sources such as wind and wave power
2. If an official document is renewable, its use can be continued for an extra period of time
a renewable passport/ contract

harness /ˈhɑː.nəs/ /ˈhɑːr-/ verb [ T ]
1. to put a harness on a horse, or to connect a horse to a vehicle using a harness
2. to control something, usually in order to use its power
There is a great deal of interest in harnessing wind and waves as new sources of power.
capture /ˈkæp.tʃə r / /-tʃɚ/ verb [ T ] CATCH
1. to take someone as a prisoner, or to take something into your possession, especially by force
Two of the soldiers were killed and the rest were captured.
Rebel forces captured the city after a week-long battle.
2. to succeed in getting something when you are competing with other people
The Democratic Party captured 70% of the vote.
curb /kɜːb/ /kɝːb/ verb [ T ]
to control or limit something that is not wanted
The Government should act to curb tax evasion.
exhaust /ɪgˈzɔːst/ /-ˈzɑːst/ verb [ T ] USE
2. to use something completely
How long will it be before the world’s fuel supplies are exhausted?
I’m afraid he’s exhausted my patience.
We seem to have exhausted this topic of conversation (= we have nothing new to say about it) .
wear (sth) out phrasal verb [ M ]
to use something so much that it is damaged and cannot be used any more, or to become damaged in this way
Moving parts in engines wear out much more quickly than stationary parts.

ochre , US ALSO ocher /ˈəʊ.kə r / /ˈoʊ.kɚ/ noun [ U ]
a yellowish orange colour, or a substance obtained from the Earth which is used for giving this colourto paints
quarry /ˈkwɒr.i/ /ˈkwɔːr-/ noun HOLE
1. [ C ] a large artificial hole in the ground where stone, sand, etc. is dug for use as building material
a granite/limestone/marble/slate quarry
quarry /ˈkwɒr.i/ /ˈkwɔːr-/ verb [ T ]
to dig stone, etc. from a quarry
lead /led/ noun [ U ]
1. [ U ] a very dense (= heavy in relation to its size) , soft, dark-grey, poisonous metal, used especially in the past on roofs and for pipes and also for protection against radiation
lead pipes
coal /kəʊl/ /koʊl/ noun [ C or U ]
a hard, black substance which is dug from the earth in pieces, and can be burnt to produce heat or power, or a single piece of this
How much coal was mined here?
a burning/red hot coal

malleable /ˈmæl.i.ə.bl ̩/ adjective
1. describes a substance that is easily changed into a new shape
Lead and tin are malleable metals.
2. easily influenced, trained or controlled
He had an actor’s typically malleable features.
Europe saw its colonies as a source of raw material and a malleable workforce.
ore /ɔː r / /ɔːr/ noun [ C or U ]
rock or soil from which metal can be obtained
iron/copper ore
smelt /smelt/ verb [ T ]
to get a metal from rock by heating it to a very high temperature, or to melt objects made from metal in order to use the metal to make something new
incentive /ɪnˈsen.tɪv/ /-tɪ̬v/ noun [ C or U ]
something which encourages a person to do something
Tax incentives have been very effective in encouraging people to save and invest more of their income.
[ + to infinitive ] There is little incentive for people to leave their cars at home when public transport remains so expensive.
Bonus payments provide an incentive to work harder.

migrate /maɪˈgreɪt/ verb TRAVEL/MOVE
1. [ I ] When an animal migrates, it travels to a different place, usually when the season changes
These animals migrate annually in search of food.
In September, these birds migrate 2000 miles south to a warmer climate.
2. [ I ] If people migrate, they travel in large numbers to a new place to live temporarily
Mexican farm workers migrate into the US each year to find work at harvest time.
3. [ I ] to move from one place to another
Trade is migrating from local shops to the larger out-of-town stores.
opal /ˈəʊ.p ə l/ /ˈoʊ-/ noun [ C or U ]
a precious stone whose colour changes when the position of the person looking at it changes
ˌ carbon ˈ footprint noun [ C ]
Someone’s carbon footprint is a measurement of the amount of carbon dioxide that their activities produce.
ˈ carbon ˌ neutral adjective
If a person, organization, event, etc. is carbon neutral, it does things such as planting trees to reduce carbon dioxide by the same amount as it produces it.
discard /dɪˈskɑːd/ /-ˈskɑːrd/ verb
1. [ T ] to throw something away or get rid of it because you no longer want or need it
Discarded food containers and bottles littered the streets.
pest /pest/ noun [ C ]
1. an insect or small animal which is harmful or which damages crops

common pests such as rats, mice or cockroaches

predator /ˈpred.ə.tə r / /-tɚ̬ / noun [ C ]
1. an animal that hunts, kills and eats other animals
lions, wolves and other predators
vulnerable /ˈvʌl.n ə r.ə.bl / , / ̩ ˈvʌn.rə-/ /ˈvʌl.nɚ.ə-/ adjective
able to be easily physically, emotionally, or mentally hurt, influenced or attacked
I felt very vulnerable, standing there without any clothes on.
It is on economic policy that the government is most vulnerable.
Tourists are more vulnerable to attack, because they do not know which areas of the city to avoid.
susceptible /səˈsep.tɪ.bl ̩/ adjective INFLUENCED
1. easily influenced or harmed by something
She isn’t very susceptible to flattery.
These plants are particularly susceptible to frost.
Among particularly susceptible children, the disease can develop very fast.
devour /dɪˈvaʊə r / /-ˈvaʊɚ/ verb [ T ]
1. to eat something eagerly and in large amounts so that nothing is left
The young cubs hungrily devoured the deer.
eradicate /ɪˈræd.ɪ.keɪt/ verb [ T ] FORMAL
to get rid of completely or destroy something bad
The government claims to be doing all it can to eradicate corruption.
The disease which once claimed millions of lives has now been eradicated.

marsupial /mɑːˈsuː.pi.əl/ /mɑːr-/ noun [ C ]
a type of mammal from Australasia or South or Central America which is not completely developed when it is born and is carried around in a pocket on the mother’s body where it is fed and protected until it is completely developed
Marsupials include koalas, possums and kangaroos.
invertebrate /ɪnˈvɜː.tɪ.brət/ /-ˈvɝː.t̬ə-/ noun [ C ] SPECIALIZED
an animal with no spine
Invertebrates, such as worms, are the main diet of these water birds.
primate /ˈpraɪ.meɪt/ , /-mət/ noun [ C ] SPECIALIZED ANIMAL
1. a member of the most developed and intelligent group of mammals, including humans, monkeys and apes
indigenous /ɪnˈdɪdʒ.ɪ.nəs/ adjective
naturally existing in a place or country rather than arriving from another place
Are there any species of frog indigenous to the area?
So who are the indigenous people of this land?
submissive /səbˈmɪs.ɪv/ adjective
describes someone who allows themselves to be controlled by other people
He was looking for a quiet submissive wife who would obey his every word.
nocturnal /nɒkˈtɜː.nəl/ /nɑːkˈtɝː-/ adjective FORMAL
happening in or active during the night, or relating to the night
nocturnal wanderings
nocturnal light
Most bats are nocturnal.

invasive /ɪnˈveɪ.sɪv/ adjective
moving into all areas of something and difficult to stop
an invasive disease
They treated the cancer with non- invasive methods/surgery (= not cutting into the body) .
feral /ˈfer. ə l/ adjective
existing in a wild state, especially describing an animal that was previously kept by people
feral dogs/cats
tame /teɪm/ adjective NOT WILD
1. (especially of animals) not wild or dangerous, either naturally or because of training or long involvement with humans
After a few months’ contact the monkeys become very tame.
carnivore /ˈkɑː.nɪ.vɔː r / /ˈkɑːr.nɪ.vɔːr/ noun [ C ]
an animal that eats meat
Lions and tigers are carnivores.
HUMOROUS I did mostly vegetarian food but put a couple of meat dishes out for the carnivores (= people who eat meat) .
venomous /ˈven.ə.məs/ adjective POISON
1. poisonous
a venomous snake

asexual /ˌeɪˈsek.sju. ə l/ adjective
1. without sex or sexual organs
scale /skeɪl/ noun SKIN
7. [ C usually plural ] one of the many very small flat pieces which cover the skin of fish, snakes, etc.
pack /pæk/ noun [ C ] GROUP
2. a group of animals such as dogs, which live and/or hunt together
a wolf pack
a pack of wild dogs
young /jʌŋ/ plural noun
2. the babies of an animal
Meanwhile, the mother flies back to the nest to feed her young.
dumping /ˈdʌm.pɪŋ/ noun [ U ]
the act of getting rid of something unwanted
They have promised to limit the dumping of sewage sludge in the sea.
algae /ˈæl.giː/ plural noun
very simple, usually small plants that grow in or near water and do not have ordinary leaves or roots
suffocate /ˈsʌf.ə.keɪt/ verb [ I or T ] DIE
1. to (cause someone to) die because they do not have enough oxygen
The report said that the victims had suffocated in the fumes.
She suffocated him by holding a pillow over his head.

Reading

A Plastic Ocean

A Plastic Ocean is a new documentary that looks at the problems that are caused when plastic waste goes into the sea. Watch the trailer and find out more about how plastic can be dangerous to sea animals and human health.

Do the preparation task first. Then watch the video and do the exercise. Remember you can read the transcript at any time.

1. Match the words with the definitions.

Narrator: I remember the first time I saw a blue whale.

Man on boat: Look, look! (… Wow!)

Narrator: I’d followed them since childhood.

Diver: Where do you think it’s from? Is it from a ship?

Narrator: I could see plastic everywhere.

Every year 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into our oceans

Presenter: We were in what we thought was a relatively pristine environment. I started to wonder what was happening in oceans elsewhere on the planet.

A journalist who loves the ocean

Narrator: Growing up, my world was the ocean. It’s where I feel the most spiritual.

And a champion who dives below

Diver: As a free diver, it was a place where I proved myself to myself. Finally have the opportunity to pay the sea back.

A crisis with global stakes

Narrator: Only a fraction of the plastic that we produce is recycled.

Man 2 on boat: This is never going to degrade. It’s got nowhere to go.

Narrator: It’s something that these animals are forced to endure because it was man-made and we put it into their environment.

Diver: The record is two hundred and seventy-six pieces of plastic inside one ninety-day-old chick. If the plastics are in the food chain for the dolphin then they’re also in our food chain.

Lady on boat: Exactly!

Narrator: Communities are built on these landfill sites … So sweet potatoes, corn, sugar cane, all growing on forty years of garbage.

Do you have anything not wrapped in plastic?

… No!

To save our future

Narrator: We have to make our life better for our kids’ children.

We need a wave of change

Narrator: Change is possible! It starts with us!

2. Read the questions and choose the correct answer.

Listening

Cutting down on waste

Reduce, reuse and recycle!

Join Sophia as she talks about ‘the three Rs’ and shares some tips on how we can all cut down on waste and help the environment.

Watch the video and use the subtitles and the transcript to help you understand.

Hello, everyone, and welcome back. This video is for the British Council’s LearnEnglish Teens website and their YouTube channel.

In today’s video I wanted to talk about a very important topic and that is cutting down on waste. As a species, we are very wasteful of materials and resources, and it’s not doing our planet any good at all. We’re actually destroying it.

Our decisions and consumption can affect our environment in a negative way, and no matter what scientists say about moving to Mars – this is our only planet that we get to call home, and we need to start respecting it and treating it correctly so that we don’t just completely destroy it and ruin ourselves in the process.

So, that said, here are some simple tips and some simple actions that you can add or incorporate into your lifestyle to help look after our planet. Before I talk a little bit about some actions that you can take into changing your lifestyle to help the environment and to help cut down on waste, I just want to jog your memory about the three Rs, which are always important to remember and that is ‘Reduce’, ‘Reuse’ and ‘Recycle’.

Reducing waste actually helps to prevent waste being produced in the first place, and it’s probably one of the best ways to start off with because if you don’t have waste in the first place, then we don’t have the problem of disposing of it.

An example of how you can do this is perhaps by choosing loose fruit and vegetables at the supermarket rather than fruit and veg which is packaged in plastic. Also, using a reusable plastic or metal bottle and reusable plastic containers are a great way to reduce the amount of plastic you accumulate. In my family, we use a lot of ice cream tubs, you know, the big ice cream tubs. We use them to keep our leftover food and it works perfectly fine.

The second R is to reuse items. Instead of throwing things straight into the rubbish bin, why don’t you see if you can reuse them again? I like to do this a lot with gift bags, which I get when I receive a present for a special occasion. I usually keep the gift bags or the boxes and reuse them when I’m giving a gift to someone else. You can also do the same thing with plastic bags. Instead of getting a new bag every time you go food shopping, just bring your old ones along, and that way you’re cutting down on the amount of plastic that you accumulate.

And finally, recycle. Recycling turns waste products into a new item, or, as I like to say, it gives them a second life. I’ve recently been clearing out my wardrobe and throwing away some clothes that I no longer like or perhaps don’t fit me any more – and the money from selling them goes towards helping a charity, so it’s a win-win for all.

Always remember to check the back of any type of packaging for details about whether the materials can be recycled, and make a conscious effort to make sure you’re both buying products that are recyclable and you’re actually recycling.

So, that’s it for today. These are just a few starter tips on how you can make changes in your own, everyday life to help cut down on waste and to help out our planet. Of course, feel free to go online because there are loads of great, fun, exciting ways that you can also cut down on your waste and energy consumption really.

Also, comment below and let me know what you’re already doing to cut down on waste and if you have any great recommendations on how other people can cut down on their waste as well. I hope you have a lovely day and I’ll see you in the next video. Bye!

Урок Homework Курс

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Vocabulary
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Grammar
Wordlist
Homework