RECYCLING - HOW IMPORTANT IS IT REALLY?

Saving certain recyclable materials and taking them to recycling centres has become part of the daily routine in many homes. In my opinion, this should be encouraged for a number of reasons.

[ ] 1 ] Our towns, rivers and seas are becoming more and more polluted with household waste. This could easily be prevented if people took the time to sort, save and recycle their rubbish.

[ ] 2 ] Hundreds of thousands of trees are unnecessarily cut down to make paper products. Again, by recycling the paper that we would otherwise throw away we could reduce this wastage.

[ ] 3 ] They say that special machinery is required and that many people have to be employed to operate it, thus making recycling more expensive than simple waste disposal. They forget, however, that recycling both creates jobs and is beneficial to the environment.

All points considered, I strongly believe that people should be made aware of the benefits recycling can bring, and should be encouraged to participate in programmes that will help create a cleaner world for everyone in the future.

Choose the proper words for the following definitions:

1. the wise use of the environment a. ecosystem

2. the study of organisms and their b. extinct

environment

3. a community of plants and animals c. recycle

living together

4. all the surroundings of an organism, d. global warming

Including other living things, climate,

air, water, and soil e. ecology

5. when animals and plants die out and f. conservation

are gone from the Earth forever

6. an increase in the Earth’s temperature g. precycle

caused by a build-up of “greenhouse h. ozone layer

gases” in the atmosphere i. oxygen

7. when gases from factories, power plants j. landfill

and cars trap in the sun’s heat and k. habitat

warm-up the Earth

8. an area that provides an animal or plant l. greenhouse effect

with food, water, shelter and living space m. pollutants

9. a place where garbage is buried n. toxic

underground

10. a gas that makes up about 21% of the o. environment

Earth’s atmosphere; all living things need p. smog

It to survive

11. a layer of gas high in the sky which

Protects us from the harmful ultraviolet rays

of the sun that cause skin cancer and crop damage

12. man-made wastes that lower the quality

of water and air

13. to refuse to buy things that can’t be refused

14. to use it over and over again

15. brown air pollution that comes from cars and

Factories: it makes the air unsafe for people,

animals and plants to breathe

16. another word for poison

Why recycle rubbish?

Recycling…

• could cut waste going to landfill sites by half;
• creates jobs and raises public awareness;
• pays for itself and can make a profit;
• cuts imports of raw materials;
• saves energy and resources;
• reduces pollution and promotes conservation.

Some suggestions on how to be environmentally friendly:

• drive fewer miles;
• replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones;
• be an energywise shopper;
• plant trees;
• avoid purchasing produces containing chlorofluorocarbons;
• educate your friends and neighbours;
• recycle newspapers, aluminum, glass, and other materials.

Date: 2015-04-20; view: 1991