Waste and Cutting Down — notes

Episode beats

• Waste: things we don’t want / rubbish (crisp packet example).
• Recycling: Beth — glass, plastic, metal, card. Neil — separate bins (plastic, glass, paper, food). As a kid: one bin for everything.
• Shopping: Beth avoids plastic-wrapped fruit/veg; Neil notes it’s hard because we rely on plastic.
• Bottles: reusable bottles common now vs buying plastic bottles; Beth told students to buy reusable; word = single-use plastic.
• Water: Beth loves baths but feels guilty; Neil prefers showers (less water). Beth may have fewer baths.
• Clingfilm: Neil finds it convenient but wants to cut down.
• Vocab: waste; single-use plastics; recycle / recyclable; rely on; cut down on / cut back on.
• Teaser: next episode = confidence; Georgie video on environment phrasal verbs.

From the end of the episode

• waste — unwanted rubbish; also “a waste” when something is unused / unnecessary.
• single-use plastics — used once then thrown away.
• recycle / recyclable
• rely on — need something to function.
• cut down on / cut back on — reduce.

Watch for

• depend of → rely on / depend on
• reduce of plastic → cut down on plastic
• Mixing waste (noun) with waste as verb carelessly

Closed items (1–11)

1. B — waste
2. A — glass, plastic, metal, card
3. C — everything in the same bin
4. B — avoid plastic-wrapped fruit/veg
5. A — reusable bottles vs buying plastic
6. C — use once, throw away
7. B — baths / guilt; showers use less
8. A — clingfilm
9. B — can be recycled
10. A — reduce
11. rely
12. Open — recycle habits (12)
13. Open — cut down on (13)

Speaking match key: a2 · b4 · c1 · d3

If you project the page

1. Warm-up: What do you recycle? (3 min)
2. Play once → Q1–5
3. Play again → Q6–11
4. Check answers + open items
5. Speaking worksheet (pair interview)
6. Homework: Task 3 writing plan