LD
It's War on Supermarket Waste: Supermarkets Forced To End Needless Packaging
By Sean Poulter
www.dailymail.co.uk
September 2010
Sainsbury’s, the third largest chain of supermarkets in Britain, the United
Kingdom, is in court over beef that is packed in plastic shrink-wrap inside a
plastic tray with a plastic lid and a cardboard cover.
There is pressure on Britain’s supermarkets to end wasteful food packaging.
1.
Sainsbury’s, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, is
being taken to court for using excessive wrapping. The store is the first supermarket to
face official action over wasteful packaging. Lincolnshire Trading Standards launched
the case against Sainsbury’s following a complaint from a resident earlier this year. The
executive of trading standards, Peter Heafield, said he had ‘a duty to enforce
regulations’.
2.
Grocery giants have cleverly avoided charges over wasteful packaging for years
because this is an area of law full of loopholes. But trading standards officers who work
with consumers' problems have acted authoritatively over a Sainsbury's beef product
called Taste the Difference Beef. It not only comes in a plastic shrink-wrap, but also is
placed inside a plastic tray with a transparent plastic lid and surrounded with a
cardboard cover. The meat is a typical example of supermarkets’ excess packaging as
well as the resulting waste that campaigners against excessive packaging say is turning
the country into the ‘dustbin of Europe’. Chairman of the Local Government
Association's Environment Board, Paul Bettison, said: “For decades people have got
used to being able to throw away their waste and rubbish without worrying about the
consequences. Those days are now over.”
Questions
1. Why is Sainsbury’s chain of supermarkets being sued for excessive wrapping?
a. Because it is being taken to court.
b. Since all stores using excessive wrapping are eventually sued for it.
c. Due to the fact that it is facing official action for breaking regulations.
d. Because a customer complained there wasn’t enough packaging on the
beef.
8 pts
2. Paragraph 2
How many wrappings does the excessive packaging of the beef have? _____
5 pts
3. What are the plastic shrink-wrap and the cardboard box examples of?
a. ______________________(TWO WORDS)
b. ______________________(TWO WORDS)
6 pts
4. Why do the laws concerning wasteful packaging fail to keep Britain from
“turning into a dustbin”?
Circle the correct words:
Because the laws concerning too much / too little wrapping can be easily
evaded as they have too few / too many loopholes. This situation
results in / is caused by Britain becoming the “Dustbin of Europe.”
9 pts
5. Paragraph 2: “Those days are now over.”
Which days does the writer refer to? To the days when we were _______________
__________________________________________________________________
8 pts
***************************************************************************************************
3.
Sainsbury’s said it was ‘surprised’ by the legal action and is in the process of
changing packaging. But it will be hard to appease campaigners who point out that
more rubbish goes to landfill in Britain than in any other European country. Other
examples of such packaging excesses include shrink-wrapped coconuts, single
bananas sold in plastic trays and biscuits and cakes wrapped in many layers of trays
and boxes. In addition, campaigners claim that shoppers are routinely charged extra for
buying fruit and vegetables that are wrapped in plastic rather than sold loose.
4.
As the consumer increases his sensitivity to the impact of waste, the producer
and manufacturer will have to respond with more environmentally friendly packaging.
Around 5% of the average shopping basket is packaging. Shockingly, the UK produces
9.3 million tons of waste packaging a year – the equivalent weight of 245 jumbo jets
every week.
Questions
6. One banana sold in a plastic tray is an example of ____________________.
(TWO WORDS)
6 pts
7. List the examples of items sold in excessive packaging besides beef and
bananas.
a. _____________________________
b. _____________________________
c. _____________________________
6 pts
8. Fruit and vegetables sold in plastic packaging cost less than those without wrappings.
True / False
Quote a sentence justifying your answer
___________________________________________________________________
2+6=8 pts
9. What point is illustrated by the statistics in paragraph 4?
(NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS IN EACH ANSWER)
As a result of the growing awareness of ___________________________________,
manufacturers and producers will have to use ________________________________.
8 pts
***************************************************************************************************
5.
The law on excess packaging was introduced in 1999 and appears to offer a
simple route to outlawing waste. However, the rules banning wasteful packaging have
too many loopholes to be effective and the maximum fine of only £5,000 (30,000 NIS)
does not pose any real deterrent for large companies. “The law which is supposed to
ban excessive packaging is a toothless tiger. The fact that there have only been four
successful prosecutions in the UK demonstrates the law simply isn't working. Until this
current court case against Sainsbury’s, the most recent prosecution for excess
packaging was in May 2006 when a Cambridgeshire biscuit firm was given a fine for
filling its cookie boxes only two-thirds full.
6.
The Local Government Association and the Local Authorities Coordinators of
Regulatory Services (LACORS), which advise and support council trading standards
services, have been calling for much tougher regulations to make sure that shops and
manufacturers cannot justify excess packaging on the basis of 'consumer acceptance'
and marketing purposes. They say packaging should be limited to ‘the minimum
adequate amount’ to ensure safety and hygiene.
10. Why are the rules for outlawing waste ineffective?
a. ______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
6 pts
11. Paragraph 6
How much packaging should be accepted for marketing purposes?
___________________________________________________________________
8 pts
*************************************************************************************************
7.
Councils argue that small print loop-hole clauses make it so difficult to prosecute
offenders that no one has tried to take a store or manufacturer to court since 2006.
They have called for the law to be tightened up and backed up by an increase in the
maximum fine to £50,000 (300,000 NIS).
8.
The Sainsbury’s company said it has been working on reducing packaging on
products across the store. This includes a new way to wrap and present its Taste the
Difference Beef, which, it claims, reduces the total amount of packaging by 53%. A
spokesman said the store was hopeful the council would drop the case because of the
changes. Some of the old packaging was still in stores yesterday, but the firm said this
should be replaced by the new version immediately.
9.
Margaret Eaton, of the Local Government Association, said, “Families are fed up
with having to carry so much packaging home from the supermarket. Stores need to
take more responsibility so it’s easier for people to share in keeping the environment
clean.” Friends of the Earth welcomed the prosecution, saying, “There is far too much
packaging on our food and I hope this prosecution will encourage other supermarkets to
solve their own problems.” Councils are listening to local residents and taking action
over their concerns about protecting the environment and ensuring practical, good value
rubbish bin services.
10.
People are working hard to increase recycling but are deeply concerned about
needlessly over-packaged products. People power is now needed to put pressure on
producers to cut down wasteful packaging. Manufacturers have a vital role to play in
cutting unnecessary packaging and making sure all essential packaging is made from
recycled and recyclable material. The vast majority is moving in the right direction, with
more recyclable materials being used than ever before. But there is still a minority of
suppliers who are undermining the best efforts of councils, consumers and producers.
The law must allow councils to take action against these businesses in the best
interests of consumers and the environment.
11.
Stating their concerns, the British Retail Consortium said stores are making great
efforts to reduce packaging and waste because excess wrapping is a ‘pointless cost’.
Sainsbury’s added that packaging is essential to keep food fresh and therefore prevent
food waste.
SOURCE
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1312599/Sainsburys-landmark-case-force-
supermarkets-end-needless-packaging.html#ixzz17pZEDA4C>
12. Why hasn’t anyone prosecuted a store since 2006?
_______________________________________________________________
8 pts
13. Paragraph 10
The packaging material used in the wrapping of products should be both
__________________ and_____________________. (ONE WORD in each space)
6 pts
14.
What is the main idea of this article?
a. Manufacturers have decided to end an era of excess packaging by listening to
the complaints of the customers.
b. Customers are becoming the leading force in making decisions concerning
environmental issues, mainly excessive packaging
c. Sainbury’s and other supermarkets are taking suppliers to court for causing
harm to the environment.
d. Excessive packaging is turning Britain into Europe’s garbage bin, which
upsets the campaigners.
8 pts
Find and underline the following words in the text. Study their meanings in
context:
Paragraph 1
regulations
excessive
Paragraph 2
consumer
packaged
Paragraph 3
wrapped
Paragraph 5
ban
Paragraph 8
reduce
Paragraph 9
solve
Paragraph 10
essential
needless
vital
Paragraph 11
fresh
pointless