Recycling

1. PRE-READING EXERCISES

A. Associate the following situations with their explanations:

a. It happened in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. It had as an effect the pollution of

water and put at risk 400 species of sea animals and birds.
b. Excessive use of coal to heat homes associated with factory emissions to form
smog, covering the city of London with for about 5 days. Due to the specific
atmospheric conditions (high pressure, lack of wind), thousands of people died of
respiratory diseases.
c. The duping of mercury into the sea by a chemical company, in 1959, determined
the outbreak of a disease unknown at that moment, which affected people’s
speech, equilibrium and the capacity to perform simple tasks. It also affected
animals and fish.
d. On April 2006, a turbine test of one of the reactors at a power station was so
damaged that it caused a series of explosions. As a result, radioactive material was
dissipated into the atmosphere.
i. The Chernobyl disaster
ii. The Great Smog of 1952.
iii. Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
iv. Minamata Disease (Minamata is a small coastal city in Japan).
B. All the examples above refer to unfortunate events, which had a
tremendously negative impact upon the environment. Can you add other
examples of such environmental disasters?
C. The cause of the disasters mentioned at exercise 1 is (with one exception,
probably) human action. Take a few moments to think of how human action
has deleterious effects upon the environment. Put your thoughts into
sentences. Use the following synonyms of the word “deleterious” as you write
your sentences: harmful, damaging, destructive, adverse, undesirable.
D. Explain, in your own words, the concept of household waste. Then draw a two
columns table and give examples of hazardous household waste and non-
hazardous household waste. As a conclusion, explain in writing to what
extent household waste causes environmental problems.
E. Read the following fragments, presenting the experience of collecting
household waste, which is common to most people in a cities:
a. “For breakfast we had milk and cereals and slices of bread with ham and
butter.
After finishing breakfast, I put the plastic packaging from the ham and the
cardboard packaging from the cereals into two different bins.
For lunch, I prepared fish and chips for my family. The fish came packaged in
plastic, so I added the two plastic boxes into the bin for plastics. I put the
potato-peel leftovers into a special container.
After lunch, I disposed a big plastic water-bottle into the bin.
For dinner, we decided to order food from a nearby restaurant and watch a
movie together. The food came in many plastic packaging, so, by the end of the
day, I had to carry two big plastic bags filled with plastic packaging to the
container.”
 b. “I am a very busy person. I go to work at 9 A.M. and return at home at about 6
P.M. As I am single, I don’t have time to cook. I order the food from the
restaurant or take it form the supermarket. Indeed, it comes packed in a lot of
plastic, but I don’t have time to sort the waste out. I like the comfort ensured
by restaurant chains and supermarkets”.
c. “Why should I bother to spend time on recycling. I’ve heard is not even
efficient. At least if I could be motivated by the recycling companies….
I remember my Mom telling me stories about how, in her childhood, she could
get some pocket money if she returned glass or other recyclable materials to
recycling units. I think nowadays people would be more motivated to recycle
glass or plastic if they could get some money in return.”
d. “Separating household waste and placing it into the right bin takes a lot of
time and determination. I think recycling might become efficient if we change
our lifestyles completely. It would be easier if I had the possibility, for
instance, to place biodegradable waste into my own yard instead of collecting
it in paper bags and throw it in a dirty, smelly bin. Or, if I cultivated fruit and
vegetable in my yard and bought less from the supermarket, where most things
are individually wrapped in plastic.
For people living in cities, whose lives are usually very busy, it is not easy to
manage household waste.
In order to prevent the pollution of the environment, our individual efforts
should be strengthened by decisions made by the authorities in terms of
limiting the production of plastic wrapping and encouraging the use of means
of transport which have no or little negative impact upon nature.”
F. Challenge: for two days, quantify the amount of household waste produced
by your family. Place the waste into separate bags: plastic, paper, glass,
biodegradable waste. Then write your conclusion and present it to your
peers.
G. How much household waste comes from packaging a variety of products that
we use daily? How much of this waste is plastic?
H. Place the ideas below in the order of efficiency (from your point of view and
as regards the prevention of polluting the environment with non-
biodegradable products). Then compare your classification with that made
by your peers:
a. Refuse plastic bags in shops or at the market. Instead, carry a calico/cloth
bag or other environmentally friendly bag.
b. Refuse to buy a product if it is compulsory to take it in plastic packaging.
c. Don’t buy water or juice bottled in plastic. Instead, use a water filtration
system at home and squeeze your own fruit juice.
d. Use glass jars to store food (and food leftovers) in the fridge.
e. Make your own yogurt instead of buying yogurt packaged in plastic.
f. Make your own bread or buy from bakeries that pack bread in paper bags
rather than in plastic bags.
g. If you take food from the restaurant or other suppliers, try to buy a stainless
steel lunchbox or a stainless steel lunchpail to take your food at home or at
work. You can also use metal tableware/utensils instead of plastic ones.
h. Use a thermos to take your coffee or tea at work or at school, instead of
buying beverages from public coffee machines, which often use plastic or
plastic-coated cups.
 i. Buy laundry or dishwasher detergent that is packed in cardboard, not in
plastic.
I. What other ideas can you suggest for a more plastic-free life?