Task 9: Discussion – So that waste is not generated

We learnt to sort and process the waste. On Earth, we create more and more of it.

Question 1: Why is there more waste on Earth when we can recycle it?

• Although waste is recycled, sorting and recycling are not done everywhere.
• The aim is to increase waste sorting and recycling but also to reduce consumption.
• There are more and more people on Earth which leads to an increased consumption of products that are being transported. Both the number of items used and the amount of packaging are increasing.
• The number of packaging materials (individually packaged pieces) increases due to increased hygiene.
• Due to human convenience, the number of packaging materials is increasing (as an extreme case – sale: a peeled orange in a disposable plastic box).

Question 2: We talked about a larger number of packages. What examples of food wrapped in several layers of packing do you know?

Various types of sweets, boxes of chocolates, teas, etc. are the examples. In the Czech Republic, the company called dTest drew attention to cases of products with a motto: „Do not buy air“. In a shop we often buy a product with its packaging where more than half of it is filled with air.

Question 3: Do you know such products’ packaging when after you unpacked them, there was very little in compared to the size of the box?

Again it is confectionery, cereals, washing powders, medications, and coffee. This is said to be the saleability of the product when the larger packaging attracts the customer better. It is also possible to provide a lot of information on the packaging. Examples include some medications, multivitamins (cardboard box, inside a plastic box and only several tablets in it.

Question 4: How can I help?

It is difficult to avoid buying foods that are packaged in this way. You can start buying other products that do not burden the planet with its packaging. We must not omit the sorting waste at home.

Conclusion: We also have the opportunity to reduce the consumption of things. With the availability of machines and finances, the number of manufactured items and people who want to buy them rises. Often people do not even need the things. The solution is not to buy unnecessary things or buy/sell even the used things that can still serve. (Outline the discussion of how many toys pupils have at home and how many toys the children had in the first and second half of the 20th century. Ask if they really use everything.)

Sources:

dTest: https://www.dtest.cz/kampane/vzduch Denik.cz http://pardubicky.denik.cz/podnikani/z-peti-plastovych-lahvi-je-tricko-z-8255. html