Is the recycling system broken?

Is a good citizen someone who votes and follows the law? Or is there more to it? Neil and Georgie discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.Find a full transcript, worksheet and interactive quiz for this episode at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-mi ... Show More

How have humans treated whales throughout history? Their sheer size, their ability to swim to great depths and their whale song have captured our imaginations throughout history. But have humans always had a positive relationship with whales? Phil and Georgie discuss this and tea ... Show More

Many of us like to visit museums to see ancient artefacts in person – it's an exciting way to learn about the history and culture of different civilisations. But did you know that there are criminal networks which steal and trade these ancient objects? Neil and Beth discuss this ... Show More

For many, recycling feels like a tangible way to personally combat climate change and to positively affect the environment. But after a years long investigation, NPR correspondent Laura Sullivan finds that reality is generally the opposite: Only a small fraction of plastic is ult ... Show More

  We have been recycling for decades, yet only 9% of the world's plastic has ever been successfully recycled.In this episode, we ask ourselves the heretical question, "is plastic recycling actually worth it?"A brief history of plastic usageHow much plastic do we really use?The us ... Show More

We can recycle to put materials to new uses not just to replace the original product. We hear how textiles and plastics are repurposed to make building tiles and how the fashion industry is trying to reduce, reuse and recycle. Mass produced clothes currently contribute enormous a ... Show More

Could recycling to save money be the answer to saving the planet? For decades, wealthy countries have been shipping their waste to China for sorting and recycling. Now China is getting wealthier, it no longer wants to be a dumping ground. So could we take another look at the cold ... Show More

Plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic packaging are bad for the environment.  What damage does plastic do to the environment? What can be done by governments and individuals to solve this problem? Read the sample essay here: https://www.ieltsessaybank.com/plastic-bags-plastic ... Show More

Recycling plastic has never worked very well. So who convinced us this was a good idea? In this episode, we might have the answer. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here. 

Click here to see the diagram: https://www.ieltsessaybank.com/process-for-recycling-plastic-bottles/ 

A close look at where recycling of some common materials is actually at these days. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices