Plastic-free is not so easy

• Global Citizenship
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 1

AIMS of today's lesson

• To discuss issues surrounding plastic packaging in supermarkets. Why do they use so much plastic?
• To learn about  food items and packaging

Topic

Reducing the amount of plastic we use.

CEF level A2 – C1+

This lesson is based on photographs taken in a local supermarket during a recent campaign

which challenged consumers to shop without buying anything in plastic packaging during a week. The photos were shared on social media with the hashtag accompanying the campaign to be used as a springboard for discussion and project work with students. As well as offering a great context for reviewing the language of food, it also offers a chance to expand on this topic and look at the language used to talk about issues surrounding plastic waste. 

Discuss in pairs: 

• Look at the next slide......
• Identify the food in the packaging. 
• Where do you think the photos were taken?

Keep a note of any new vocabulary on the board. Make a note of new

vocabulary in the context of a short phrase or sentence if possible. Draw

students’ attention to the sentences or phrases at the end of the activity. You

may want to work with the pronunciation of any difficult sounds so that they get

a chance to practise in the next stage. 

Ask the students to identify the food in the packaging and ask them where they

think the photos were taken. This won’t take long. You can choose to do this in

pairs or as a whole class. If you’re working with the whole class, you might

want them to think and consult with a partner before you nominate someone to

give the answers.

In your group: 

1. Rank the items in the order in which  the packaging is the  least needed, starting with the items which need no packaging. Remember to be able to justify  your answers.
2. Think about alternative ways of displaying each of the items.

E.g. the bananas can be loose in a box. 

1. Once you have established what food items are in the photographs, ask the

students to work in small groups to do the following:

a. Rank the items in the order in which they need the packaging least, starting

with those which need no packaging. Encourage them to justify their

answers. You may need to feed in useful language such as banana skin,

peel, protect, etc.

Group 1: 

Report back on your  rank ordering and any alternative

packaging methods your group discussed. 

Other groups to compare this with your 

own discussions and report on any similarities and differences. 

2. Ask one group to report back on their rank ordering and any alternative

packaging methods they discussed. Ask the other groups to compare with their

own discussions and report on any similarities and differences.

3. Give feedback on any new or difficult language from the discussion  the students a chance to recycle language from the previous discussion.  and

then ask the students to discuss why  supermarkets choose to package the

food this way. What might they be gaining from it? This extends the topic,

includes an element of critical thinking and allows

Look at the photo, identify the items and spot the difference in the packaging.

The next three slides show the same, or similar items, packaged differently. Ask the students to work in pairs to vary the interaction pattern from the previous stage, and ask them to do the following:

a. Look at the photo, identify the items and spot the difference in the

packaging.

1. The eggs in the cardboard boxes are free-range, the ones in plastic are not

Look at the photo, identify the items and spot the difference in the packaging.

2. There was a negligible difference in price between the glass bottles packaged in cardboard and the tins held together by the plastic rings. 

Look at the photo, identify the items and spot the difference in the packaging.

3. the bottles on the right are made of glass and contain fermented tea, the bottles on the left are made of plastic and contain a generic “detox” drink. The fermented tea is more expensive.) 

Why do supermarkets choose to package the
food this way. What might they be gaining from it?

The packaging may reflect the ethos and principles of the company that produces the product,  or the supermarket chain which sells it,  whether or not they believe in sustainable production and packaging. It may also be that they realise

that customers who choose those items are more likely to be anti-plastic. 

Spot the plastic. Discuss in pairs,  then ONE of you should  type your answers on to this slide.

What other differences might there be between the
items? Which are likely to be more expensive and why?

b. Ask them to discuss what other differences there might be between the

items, which are likely to be more expensive and why.

Suggested answers:

Generally-speaking the items in plastic are less expensive, the ones in glass or

paper are often organic and more expensive. 

Board race

In your groups, choose " a writer"  and a "runner" - The remaining four people are the "thinkers" (very important people!)

The Thinkers

Brainstorm OTHER products that are often packaged in plastic

The Runner

The Writer

Write the information in the correct space on the board

 board race: to brainstorm other products that are often packaged in plastic. You can use the photos on  slide 13 for comparison at the end. 

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Set a short time limit: Elect a winning team. 

Group Discussion

Where else are these things sold? Are they always packaged in plastic? eg; meat is also sold at butcher's shops and often wrapped in greaseproof paper. 

The students work in small groups to discuss where else these things are

sold and if they are always packaged in plastic (e.g. meat is also sold at butcher’s

shops or market stalls and is often sold in greased paper). - If time....

At the end of the discussion, ask them to choose three items and write a short

report on each. Display these reports around the classroom and ask the students

to read each other’s reports. Encourage them to comment and ask questions

using post-it notes. These questions and comments can feed into a whole class

discussion stage.

In the whole class discussion stage introduce the students to the idea of plastic-free shopping and what it entails. Ask them to think about what the main problems might be, and which items would be most difficult to buy. 

Why do supermarkets use so much plastic?

Class Brainstorm session - Check their possible answers against the ideas on the next slide. 

Supermarkets are full of packaging for lots of reasons.

Food and drink is one of the biggest sources if single-use packaging. The more we do to reduce our reliance on it, the more we will fight plastic. 

How can you avoid plastic in food?

• Choose plastic free fruit and veg
• Buy from local shops
• Buy from farmers markets
• Take pots and tubs to the supermarket deli counter
• Always take your reusable bags

Living "Plastic Free" is not so easy

It is easy! Anyone can go "plastic free"

Quite easy! It just takes some thought

Not easy and not difficult

To be "plastic free" is much more difficult than I thought

Going "plastic free" takes a lot of effort but I'm going to try

Follow-up assignment

• Take your phone to the supermarket, take photos of  other examples of overly packaged products.
• Share what you have found in the lesson

Suggestion: write emails to the supermarket's website asking them to reduce the plastic they use in  packaging  - give them ideas for alternatives. 

There are all kinds of possibilities for projects to follow on from these

discussions. Here are a few suggestions, each of which can be developed further

1. Students choose one (or more) of the photos and write a caption for it as if

they were sharing it on social media.

2. Students take part in a zero plastic challenge and try not to buy anything

packaged in plastic until the next lesson. They then report back on the

problems and successes. 

Adapted for LessonUp by Susan Corrigan. 

Original lesson was created by Ceri Jones for the British Council - Teaching English

Original lesson plan: 

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/Plastic_waste_Lesson_plan.pdf

 

Materials: 

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/Plastic_waste_student_worksheet.pdf