2.4 Topic “Recycling” (Reading)

2.4.1 Science Corner

Recycling is the reprocessing of old materials into new products, with the aims of preventing the waste of potentially useful materials, reducing the consumption of fresh raw materials, reducing energy usage, reducing air (from incineration) and water (from landfilling) pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production. Recycling is a key concept of modern waste management and is the third component of the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" waste hierarchy, though colloquial usage of "recycling" can also include "reuse".

"Recyclable materials" or "recyclables", may originate from home, business or industry. They include glass, paper, metal, textiles and plastics. Though analogus, the composting of biodegradable waste—such as food or garden waste—is not typically considered recycling. These materials are either brought to a collection centre or picked-up from the curbside; and sorted , cleaned and reprocessed into new products bound for manufacturing.

To judge the environmental benefits of recycling, the cost of this entire process must be compared to the cost of virgin extraction. In order for recycling to be economically viable, there usually must be a steady supply of recyclates and constant demand for the reprocessed goods; both of which can be stimulated through government legislation.

Meanwhile, critics claim that government mandated recycling wastes more resources than it saves. These critics claim that free market prices, and not politicians, are the most accurate way to determine whether or not any particular type of garbage should be recycled. According to these critics, whenever recycling truly does save resources, the private sector will voluntarily offer people money for their garbage.

2.4.2 Newspaper article (from “International Herald Tribune”)

Recycling: A global work in progress

PARIS: Why recycle? It is costly, time-consuming and takes more effort than simply chucking all the waste into a single bin.

Nonetheless, over the last two decades, recycling has become the norm in the Western world. Citizens pay higher taxes to cover the costs; municipalities enforce recycling regulations and refuse to pick up the garbage of households that do not comply.

Some people complain, but others get angry when they cannot apply what they see as eco- friendly solutions to problems like an overabundance of trash. In Britain, the 211,000 members of the Women's Institute, a respected civic group, staged a revolt last June, saving up food packaging for a week and taking it back to supermarkets around the country.

Even in France, where recycling got off to a slower start than in pioneering places like Germany and California, people have now come to accept it.

"A few years ago we had a hard time making people understand the need for recycling," said Reynald Gilleron, chief of sanitation for Paris's wealthy 16th district. "Now, given the importance that ecology and sustainable development have taken on in political life, it's become a no-brainer. There has been a collective wake-up call."

Still, there are issues.

For one thing, various cities in Europe and the United States send their sorted waste to Asia for recycling, and one major buyer ? China ? may be having second thoughts. Last month the Chinese authorities ordered an investigation into reports that Britain, which ships paper and plastic to China, had sent harmful waste to Guangdong Province.

Some Westerners, too, are troubled by the notion of sending their garbage abroad and wonder whether Asia has sufficient safeguards to recycle used materials without creating risks to health or the environment. There is also the question of what will happen when Asian manufacturing powerhouses like India and China begin to produce even a fraction of the trash produced in the West.

Skeptics question recycling's cost-benefit relationship. If it costs less to bury trash in a landfill, they say, why sort and reprocess it? Wouldn't it be better to use the savings on other environment-friendly projects?

Proponents answer that recycling helps conserve natural resources and also reduces the greenhouse gas emissions held responsible for climate change because less energy is needed to transform goods than to obtain raw materials and manufacture new products.

A deeper issue is how to create less waste. According to Gilleron, a new collective wake- up call is in order. "We need to reduce the amount of trash we make," he said. This, in turn, would cut back on the need for recycling.

As for the actual process, the International Herald Tribune decided to board garbage trucks in seven cities to see firsthand what happens once people stash their trash in a recycling bin.

What emerges is a global work in progress.

2.4.2.1 Team Work. What happens at the other end when you throw your trash into a recycling bin? IHT reporters boarded garbage trucks in seven cities to find out. Compare what happens in the other cities. Use

http://www.iht.com/indexes/special/trash/index.php

2.5 Topic «London set to ban plastic bags» (Listening)

2.5.1 Warm-ups

2.5.1.1 Walk around the class and talk to other students about plastic bags. Change partners often. After you finish, sit with your original partner(s) and share what you found out

2.5.1.2 In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring

habits / environment / shopping bags / landfill sites / environmental projects / being up in arms / bans / inconvenience / sales / convenience stores / surveys

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently

2.5.1.3 Are there everyday things in society we should ban? Rank these things on a scale of 1 (= doesn’t need banning) to 10 (= definitely needs banning). Explain your choices to your partner(s)

plastic bags cars that can exceed the speed limit fast food guns

Disney goods cigarettes alcohol other ______________

2.5.1.4 With your partner(s), discuss which of the things below you would miss most when shopping

plastic bags

trolleys / carts

itemized receipts

two-for-the-price-of-one special offers

cash

sales assistants

2.5.1.5 Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word ‘plastic’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories

2.5.1.6 Students A think plastic bags should be banned; Students B think the opposite. Change partners often

2.5.2 Before reading/listening

2.5.2.1 Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F)

a) London has banned all stores from giving plastic bags to shoppers.	T / F
b) People use around 1.6 billion plastic bags in London every year.	T / F
c) It takes around 4,000 years for a plastic bag to decompose.	T / F
d) London has no ambitions to set an example with a plastic bag ban.	T / F
e) London stores are totally behind the idea of banning plastic bags.	T / F
f) Retailers do not yet have a target to reduce the number of bags.	T / F
g) Stores are worried people would buy fewer products with no bags.	T / F
h) 19.2 percent of Londoners agreed with the plastic bag ban.	T / F