IELTS Writing Sample #131
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Nowadays we are producing more and more rubbish.
Why do you think this is happening?
What can governments do to help reduce the amount of rubbish produced?
Give reasons for your answer and include
any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
model answer:
I think it is true that in almost every country today each household and family
produces a large amount of waste every week. Most of this rubbish comes from the
packaging from the things we buy, such as processed food. But even if we buy
fresh food without packaging, we still produce rubbish from the plastic bags
used everywhere to carry shopping home.
The reason why we have so much packaging is that we consume so much more on a
daily basis than families did in the past. Convenience is also very important in
modern life, so we buy packaging or canned food that can be transported from
long distances and stored untill we need it, first in the supermarket, and then
at home.
However, I think the amount of waste produce is also a result of our tendency to
use something once and throw it away. We forget that even the cheapest plastic
bag has used up valuable resources and energy to produce. We also forget that it
is a source of pollution and difficult to dispose of.
I think, therefore, that governments need to raise this awareness in the general
public. Children can be educated about environmental issues at school, but
adults need to take action. Governments can encourage such action by putting
taxes on packaging, such as plastic bags, by providing recycling services and by
thing households and shops that do not attempt to recycle their waste.
With the political will, such measures could really reduce the amount of rubbish
we produce. Certainly nobody wants to see our resources used up and our planet
poisoned by waste.
(270 words)