Plastic footprint - The English We Speak

Hello and welcome to The English

We Speak. I'm Feifei.

And I'm the new, improved Roy.

Wow, Roy - you look really different!

Why are you wearing a suit?

Well, I decided to give some of my

old clothes away to charity and start

wearing my suit and tie and cut my

hair short. Also, I'm wearing these shoes

that have a metal sole to reduce

my plastic footprint.

You know that plastic footprint

doesn't relate specifically to your

shoes, right? Plastic footprint relates

to the amount of plastic you use in

your everyday life.

Yep, and I'm very aware of the amount

of plastic I use - in fact, I get really

angry when I receive or buy something

that uses unnecessary plastic packaging.

Roy, I've never heard you get angry

before. I'm really impressed you care

about plastic footprint.

Well, I only get upset when it relates

to the future of the planet - a planet

my son and his children will inherit.

Let's listen to these examples.

I've tried to avoid buying things

that use too much plastic packaging

because I'm very aware of my

plastic footprint.

The shop has starting using paper

bags to reduce its plastic footprint.

First it was carbon, now it's our

plastic footprint we have to reduce.

I have to read more about it.

This is The English We Speak

from BBC Learning English and

we're talking about the expression

'plastic footprint'. This relates to the

amount of plastic that we

use in our everyday life.

Roy, how are you reducing

your plastic footprint?

Well, first of all, whenever I buy

a coffee, I use a reusable coffee cup.

Also, when you buy things, do

you use single-use plastic bags?

No, I don't. I have reusable bags

that are made of cloth rather than

plastic. What else can be done?

Well, bringing your own bottle to

drink water can help, and also

avoiding plastic cutlery. I always

take my cutlery from home.

Do you drink a lot of tea?

Yes, I do. Why?

Well, you should always make

sure that the tea bags you use

are biodegradable if you want to

reduce your plastic footprint.

I didn't know that! Well, speaking

of tea, do you want a cup?

I'd love one.

Me too, now go and make me

one while I do some work.

Bye, Roy.

OK, Feifei. Bye!