Plastics can be difficult to recycle could a recently discovered enzyme help? Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary.

❓❓❓ According to the UN, around 400 million tonnes of new plastic is produced every year. Which of the following, if placed on a set of scales, would weigh about the same?

a) all the people on Earth?
b) all the cars on Earth?
c) all the elephants on Earth?

[Cover: Getty Images]

You can download audio and a free programme transcript here
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish...

Vocabulary:
✔incinerate burn
✔landfill method of dealing with rubbish by burying it in large holes in the ground
✔brittle easily broken, cracked, or snapped
✔downcycling creating a recycled object of lesser value and quality than the original waste object
✔enzyme chemicals found in living cells which cause changes in other chemicals to happen while not being changed themselves
✔show promise have the potential for success in the future

More 6 Minute English episodes:
⭐ Feed your brain    • Feed your brain ⏲ 6 Minute English  
⭐ Food for new mums    • Food for new mums ⏲ 6 Minute English  
⭐ Fighting loneliness with soup    • Fighting loneliness with soup ⏲ 6 Mi...  
⭐ What is the future of work    • What is the future of work? ⏲ 6 Minu...  
⭐ How the language of menus matters    • How the language of menus matters ⏲ ...  
⭐ The psychology of greed    • The psychology of greed ⏲ 6 Minute E...  
⭐ Addicted to sugar    • Addicted to sugar ⏲ 6 Minute English  
⭐ Our love of pets    • Our love of pets ⏲ 6 Minute English  
⭐ Sexism: Female farmers fighting back    • Sexism: Female farmers fighting back ...  
⭐ Learning lessons from the Moon    • Learning lessons from the Moon ⏲ 6 M...  

SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for more English videos and podcast English to help you improve your English http://tinyurl.com/ps3hplv

✔ Visit our website https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish
✔ Follow us on Instagram   / bbclearningenglish  
✔ Find us on Facebook   / bbclearningenglish.multimedia  
✔ Join us on TikTok   / bbclearningenglish  

We like receiving and reading your comments please use English when you comment

#learnenglish #bbclearningenglish #plastic #plasticwaste #recycling