Rob: Hello, I'm Rob…
Cath: And I'm Cath.
Rob: And this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. Today we're talking
about plastic carrier bags.
Cath: Yes, they're very useful for carrying our shopping home in from the
supermarket but are a bit of a problem.
Rob: Not surprisingly millions are used every day all around the world. And today
we'll be telling you about a fight to cut the number being used and thrown
away. Now, Cath, do you use lots of carrier bags?
Cath: Well I try not to. I think it's really really important not to but I do seem to end
up with quite a few. Either I stuff them in a drawer and try and forget about
them or I recycle them.
Rob: That's good because recycling the plastic carrier bags is one way to reduce
waste but I'll tell you more about plans to cut their use soon. But first Cath, we
always like to start the programme with a question. So are you ready to answer
this one?
Cath: Alright then!
Rob: Now, approximately how many plastic carrier bags are used worldwide every
year? Is it:
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a) 500 million
b) 500 billion
c) 500 trillion
Cath: I don't even know what 500 trillion means. I'm going to go for – I can't believe
it's billions – it must be 500 million.
Rob: OK, well, we'll see if you're right at the end of the programme. Now let's get
back to the story about a fight to reduce the use of carrier bags.
Cath: Yes, and of course, this is not a real fight! This is a campaign. And it sounds
tricky because plastic bags are so useful.
Rob: Yes. Plastic actually is a very useful resource. There are so many things we
use every day that are made from this chemically produced material – but the
carrier bag is probably the product that gets the most criticism.
Cath: Criticism – that's when something or someone gets unfavourable comments.
And the plastic carrier bag gets blamed for lots of environmental problems.
Rob: Yes. For example, many of them end up in our seas and in our countryside and
get swallowed by animals and fish. The problem is they're not biodegradable.
Cath: Yes, they don't decompose naturally very quickly. It can take up to 1000 years.
Rob: So that's why the government in Wales is trying to fight the problem. Let's hear
from the BBC's Collette Hume to hear what's being done and how widespread
the problem is…
Collette Hume, BBC
The carrier bag. Shoppers in Wales will have to pay five pence for every one they use, making
Wales the first part of the UK to charge for them. UK shoppers use around 13,000 carrier bags
in their lifetime. In Wales that amounts to around 480 million bags every year or 150 bags for
every person.
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Cath: Incredible! She says shoppers in the UK use around 13,000 carrier bags in their
lifetime.
Rob: So to try and cut that number, the Welsh government is introducing a
compulsory tax of five pence for every bag that someone uses.
Cath: Compulsory – so you have to pay it, there's no choice. So if someone uses 20
bags in a week then that's an extra pound you will spend just on plastic bags!
Rob: Well this is the idea of the tax – or financial levy – people might think twice
about using a bag.
Cath: And of course, they might start re-using the old bags or recycling. This will cut
down on the number of bags being dumped and left to decompose in landfill
sites – that's another name for a rubbish dump.
Rob: This new tax is one way to wean people off the single-use carrier bag. But the
government is also providing tougher, stronger bags that last for a long time
and can be used again and again.
Cath: Yes, I've got something like that from my supermarket. But the problem is I
sometimes forget to take it with me every time I go shopping!
Rob: That is annoying! But for the Welsh government, this isn't just an issue about
carrier bags but more about getting people to think about the wider
environment. Let's hear more about the government's thinking from the Welsh
environment minister, John Griffiths. Listen out for the word he uses to
describe what he wants people to change…
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John Griffiths , Welsh Environment Minister
We want people to think more about environmental issues and change the way they behave so
that they reuse their bags rather than having lots and lots of carrier bags spoiling their
environment. But as a result of the change they think more about environmental issues
generally and change their behaviour so that we have a cleaner, tidier Wales.
Rob: So he wants people to think more about environmental issues and to change
how they behave – their behaviour.
Cath: So he wants to change their habits and that could lead to a cleaner and tidier
Wales – a more environmentally friendly Wales.
Rob: That means being more caring about the natural world around them.
Cath: It's a good ethos and it will be good to see if these new plans work. Of course
there are many other parts of the World where a plastic bag tax has already
been introduced with good results.
Rob: But still billions – or is it trillions?! – of new carrier bags get used every year.
And that brings me back to today's question. Now, Cath, I asked you
approximately how many plastic carrier bags are used worldwide every year?
a) 500 million
b) 500 billion
c) 500 trillion
Cath: And I said 500 million but I'm guessing that's far too few.
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Rob: Far too few. Absolutely wrong! The actual answer is 500 billion. OK, well
we're almost at the end of the programme, so Cath could you please remind us
of some of the vocabulary we've heard in today's programme?
Cath: We had:
campaign
resource
criticism
biodegradable
compulsory
financial levy
landfill sites
to wean
behaviour
environmentally friendly
ethos
Rob: Thanks Cath. We hope you've enjoyed today's programme. OK well it's time to
go now but we'll see you next time!
Both: Bye!
