[Band 8] Describe a time when you saw a lot of plastic waste IELTS Cue-Card

In Describe a time when you saw a lot of plastic waste (e.g. in a park, on the beach, etc.) Cue Card, you should say:

1. When and where you saw the plastic waste?

2. Why there was a lot of plastic waste?

3. What did you do after you saw it?

4. Explain what your thoughts were about this?

Here’s the first sample answer to Describe a time when you saw a lot of plastic waste IELTS Speaking Cue Card:

Introduction

While plastic has many valuable uses, we have become addicted to single-use plastic products — with severe environmental, social, economic and health consequences. Today, I am going to share my experience of handling plastic waste in my town.

When and where you saw the plastic waste?

I live in Amritsar and it’s a tourist hub. Last week, I encountered a huge pile of plastic waste not too far from the Golden temple. In fact, tourism in my city single-handedly generates a large amount of single-use plastic waste which poses a problem for the local disposal system and environment.

Why there was a lot of plastic waste?

The two reasons why a lot of plastic waste was there are – Firstly, the site lacks basic facilities, especially dustbins. Secondly, the youngsters conduct parties and dump liquor bottles and food waste near the premises. Lastly, the lack of spreading awareness was widely visible since there were no signboards or anything.

And not just Amritsar, even other tourist destinations have been facing a serious threat of plastic pollution.

What did you do after you saw it?

As soon as I saw the pile of plastic waste, I sent the picture to the city mayor’s Twitter handle. Within hours, the Municipal Corporation removed the plastic dump from the place and thanked me for being a good citizen.

Not just that, in an initiative to keep the environment of the city clean, a ‘Plastic-Free Amritsar’ campaign was launched by the Mayor in the week following. The objective of the campaign was to free city dwellers of plastic. All the residents of the city had been invited to bring plastic waste and get gifts in return.

Explain what your thoughts were about this?

My first thought was how could somebody be so irresponsible? So I committed myself to the cause and associated with a local NGO to clean my city.

Of the seven billion tonnes of plastic waste generated globally so far, less than 10 per cent has been recycled. So I think its our moral duty to recycle more, use jute or cloth bags when to go for shopping.

Concluding the Cue Card

Protecting the environment has become a need for our survival. The people should also contribute towards this campaign for the betterment of the country.

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MODEL ANSWER 2

I recently travelled to the Ladakh highland town of Leh. Because several of the filming locations for the movies were there, it quickly became a very popular tourist destination. My dad and I visited there over the last summer holidays.

While travelling through Leh, we came across enormous piles of plastic rubbish next to Pangong lake. The Pangong Lake is one of the highest-altitude lakes in the world and is famed for its colour-changing water, from blue to red and green.

At first, I believed that the issue was a lack of trash cans. But sadly, that was not the case. All the plastic waste was intentionally put up there. Someone informed us that the place sees the daily disposal of hundreds of plastic bottles. In addition, there has been a sharp increase as a result of the surge in tourism.

There are no close plastic recycling facilities, therefore there is nowhere to dispose of all the plastic. The only options are for the government to create a recycling plant there or take it back to major cities with recycling capabilities. Both options are pricey, though.

So, I believe that my trip to Leh made me more aware of the negative aspects of tourism. Recently, I have seen in the news that the government took congnizance of the issue and has begun requesting that visitors take plastic bottles home with them rather than discarding them. That’s a welcoming step!

These little towns occasionally lack the ability to handle so many tourists. And as such, individual vigil is not possible. We all should take responsibility in our hands to reduce plastic usage wherever possible and maintain the decorum of our national heritage.

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FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS

Following are the probable set of IELTS Speaking Part-3 follow-up questions for Describe a time when you saw a lot of plastic waste cue card:

1) Do you think we should use plastic products?

It’s definitely not a good idea to encourage plastic usage. Our plastic addiction is already having a devastating impact on our oceans, our wildlife, and our health. The simplest practical way to prevent this from happening is to use less plastic.

2) How can we reduce our use of plastic?

To decrease our use of plastic, we can perform a variety of easy, everyday actions. For example, Carrying a reusable bottle is a great way to cut our plastic use and save money too. Bringing our own cloth bags to the grocery store is another task that can help reduce plastic usage.

3) What kinds of plastic waste are often seen in your country?

The most prevalent kind of environmental plastic waste in India is small plastic fibres found in the filters of cigarette butts. The next most popular things are stirrers, plastic bottles, plastic bottle caps, plastic supermarket bags, and plastic food wrappers.

4) Why do people like to use plastic products?

Plastic is a popular material because it’s strong, light, and cheap to make. That’s the primary reason why people like to use it. From bicycle helmets, child safety seats and airbags in automobiles to cell phones, televisions, and computers; plastics can be found everywhere!

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