Hello, my name's Mrs. Hastings.

I'm really excited to be learning with you today.

I'm going to help you as we learn together through this lesson.

So welcome to today's lesson from the unit, what can we do about global problems? Today's lesson is called "How is Plastic Damaging the Environment?" Some of the learning that we're going to be doing might be quite challenging, but that is absolutely great as it means that you are gonna be really thinking hard, thinking critically, and learning loads of new things.

So in today's lesson, we are going to be able to describe the environmental impacts of plastic pollution, and the challenges in reducing plastic use, and propose strategies to reduce plastic waste.

Our keywords for today's lesson are plastic, an artificial material mostly made from oil or natural gas, which could be moulded and shaped.

Pollution, when harmful substances or waste are released into the environment, causing damage to nature and living creatures.

Recycling, the process of collecting and turning used materials into new products.

And sustainable, using resources and making choices in a way that does not harm the environment.

So there are three parts to our learning cycle today.

What are the impacts of plastic pollution? What are the challenges in reducing plastic waste? And lastly, what strategies can help reduce plastic waste? So let's get on with our first learning cycle.

What are the impacts of plastic pollution? So there are several environmental problems facing the world today.

I wonder if you can just pause the video for a second, have a conversation with the person that you're sat next to, and think about what environmental problems that there are facing the world today.

Hopefully, you had some really good discussions there.

So there are several environmental problems that face the world today, and they include climate change, water pollution, air pollution, deforestation, plastic pollution, and increasing numbers of endangered species.

There are others, but those are some of the ones that you may have come up with.

So can you think of items made of plastic? Again, pause the video and just see how many different items you can think of from home or at school or in your everyday lives that are made of plastic.

So there are absolutely loads of items that are made of plastic, and here are just a few of them.

Many everyday products contain plastic such as packaging, bottles, bags, food wrappers and containers, clothing, fabrics like polyester, nylon, and acrylic, electronics, phones, laptops, televisions, and chargers, toys such as action figures, dolls, and board games, personal care products like toothbrushes, nappies, and wet wipes, and kitchenware, utensils, cutting boards, storage containers, and water bottles.

So let's check our understanding of what we've learned so far.

Which of the following items contain plastic? A, phones, B, board games, C, mug for tea, or D, nappies? What do you think out of those items contain plastic.

The correct answers are, A, phones, B, board games, and D, nappies.

So well done if you got that right.

A mug is usually made from China.

However, tea bags that you put into your mug to make your cup of tea, they can contain plastic, the actual bags.

And travel mugs are often partly made from plastic as well.

So if you use a travel mug for your tea, then that's often partly made from plastic.

So one issue is with single-use plastics.

These are plastics that are designed to be used only once and then thrown away.

And these single-use plastics can cause some of the biggest problems when it comes to plastic pollution.

This is because they're not typically designed to be reused or recycled.

So some examples of items that we might use that are considered single-use plastic are plastic straws, as in the photograph, shopping bags that are made of plastic, water bottles that we might get from the shop, and food packaging.

And these are single-use, they're used and then they're thrown away.

They contribute significantly to pollution and often end up in oceans and other natural areas.

Plastic waste often ends up in nature, from rivers and oceans to parks and fields.

Just think about when you're at school or your journey to school, when you're out and about, if you can see the plastic litter on the floor that people just throw away and damage our environment.

So it is estimated that there are over 170 trillion pieces of plastic floating in the world's oceans.

That's just an unimaginable number.

So here we have some photographs showing the impact of plastic pollution.

Here's a picture of plastic pollution in a river.

Plastic pollution on our beaches, just washed up onto the shore.

And plastic waste in a landfill.

And if we put all our plastic waste in landfill, that landfill just gets bigger, and bigger, and bigger.

Another impact to plastic pollution is that they release harmful chemicals and create microplastics, which are dangerous to humans and animals and can enter the food chain.

A crow pecking through a plastic bag to try to find food, but it is likely that some of that plastic will be ingested.

Here we have a turtle swimming in their ocean surrounded by rubbish, plastic, also a can there as well.

And a goose on the edge of a lake or a river pecking at a plastic bag that's just been discarded into it.

Plastic pollution affects everyone, but low-income countries face greater challenges in managing its impact.

For example, less waste management.

Limited resources make it hard to collect and dispose of plastic waste.

Health impacts, polluted water and air can cause sickness and disease.

Economic damage, plastic harms fishing, tourism, and agriculture.

And limited recycling, low-income countries have fewer recycling options leading to more waste in the environment.

So let's check our understanding.

Which of the following items are examples of single-use plastic? Have a look at these photographs and decide which of them are examples of single-use plastic.

A, B, or C? Well done if you got that right.

The answers are A and C.

So, A shows some plastic straws, and C shows a plastic bag.

B, although it is made of plastic, it is not made of single-use plastic.

You would reuse that water bottle many times.

Why is plastic bad for the environment? A, it is as lightweight and cheap.

B, it often ends up in nature.

And C, it doesn't break down easily.

Why is plastic bad for the environment, A, B, or C? The answers are B and C.

It often ends up in nature and it doesn't break down easily.

Well done if you got that right.

So our first practise task for today's lesson is to read Sophia's opinion about using plastic and write a response to her explaining the environmental impacts of plastic pollution.

So Sofia says, "I don't see the problem with using plastic.

It does not have an impact on the environment, and it is good, as it is strong and durable." So can you write a response to her explaining the many environmental impacts of plastic pollution? Pause the video and complete that task now.

Well done for completing that task.

So I asked you to read Sophia's opinion about using plastic and write a response to her explaining the environmental impacts of plastic pollution because she didn't think it had much of an environmental impact.

So you might have said the following, "Using plastic has a significant environmental impact, in particular, using single-use plastic.

Unfortunately, it is often not recycled or disposed of properly and ends up in nature, polluting our rivers, land, and oceans.

It doesn't break down easily, with some plastics taking thousands of years, so remains in the environment for a very long time.

Plastic also releases harmful chemicals and creates microplastics which are dangerous to humans and animals and can enter the food chain." So well done on completing that task.

Let's go on to the second of our learning cycles today.

What are the challenges in reducing plastic waste? So one way to reduce plastic waste is to recycle it.

Use our recycling bins and make sure that plastic goes into them.

Why might however recycling prove a challenge in reducing plastic pollution? Can you pause the video for a second? Talk to the person sat next to you and think about why recycling might prove a challenge in reducing plastic pollution.

So the problem with recycling and why it can be a challenge in reducing plastic pollution is because that different plastics require different recycling processes.

So although we put all of our plastic into one recycling bin, that then has to get sorted out and the different strengths of plastic or the different types of plastic then get sorted and recycled.

And obviously, that's quite a lot of energy, time consuming, et cetera.

Recycling is impacted by contamination from food or dirt.

So if your plastic has food or dirt on it, then it can alter and affect the recycling process.

It can be more expensive to recycle compared to producing new plastic.

So actually, recycling plastic is more expensive than just making new plastic in the first place.

Also, the quality of plastic is lost.

Some of that quality is lost during recycling.

So it can actually only be recycled, plastic, two to three times before it then becomes unusable because it's just too weak and not strong enough.

And there can be inadequate recycling systems in many areas.

The responsibility of recycling in the UK is down to local councils.

And so it can really vary across the country as to who and what they recycle.

Second question, why is it challenging to get companies and consumers to stop using plastic packaging? If we know it is so damaging to our environment and that it's hard to recycle, why are we using it in the first place? Why not use something else? Again, having a pause of the video and have a conversation with the person sat next to you.

Why is it so challenging to get companies and consumers, that means us, the people that are buying and using it, to stop using plastic packaging? So you may have come up with some answers, like plastic is lightweight, it's cheap to produce, and it's durable.

That means it lasts a long time and it's easy to shape.

It can be manipulated quite easily into different shapes.

So we can use it for all sorts of different things.

It helps keep products fresh and safe.

So things like fruit and vegetables might come wrapped in plastic because it keeps 'em fresh, and other products might come in plastic because it's strong and so it keeps it safe and stops it getting damaged.

Many consumers have become used to plastic packaging, so they don't necessarily think about the fact that it's coming in plastic and not something else.

Alternatives such as paper and metal may not work as well in some cases and can be more expensive to use and produce.

And some places don't have good systems for recycling alternatives like paper and metal.

So let's check our understanding.

Why is it difficult to recycle plastic? A, it is too lightweight and breaks apart easily during recycling.

B, different types of plastic need different recycling processes.

Or C, recycling plants do not have the technology to process plastic.

So why is it difficult to recycle plastic A, B, or C? The answer is B.

Different types of plastic need different recycling processes.

And as Alex is saying here, that is because different types of plastics have different chemical structures making it hard to recycle them together.

So they have to be sorted into different types of plastic.

I'd like you here to check your understanding, for you to think about and fill in the missing words to these sentences.

So why is it challenging to get companies and consumers to stop using plastic packaging? Plastic is, what and what, and easy to shape.

It helps keep products, what and what, and some, what, like paper and metal may not work as well in some cases.

So think about the blanks.

What are the missing words there? Okay, so the missing words are plastic is lightweight, durable, and easy to shape.

It helps keep products fresh and safe.

Some alternatives like paper and metal may not work as well in some cases.

Well done if you were able to think of the correct words that were missing in those sentences.

So continuing with our question, what are the challenges in reducing plastic waste? What are some of the main challenges in reducing plastic pollution? As our practise task for this section, I would like you to explain two key challenges and use examples to support your points for answering the question.

What are some of the main challenges in reducing plastic pollution? So two key challenges and use examples to support your points.

Pause the video now whilst you complete that practise task.

Well done for completing that task.

So you were asked to explain two challenges with examples in reducing plastic pollution.

So your answer could include, "One big challenge in reducing plastic pollution is current recycling processes.

This is because there are many types of plastic and they need different recycling processes.

Not everyone has access to recycling systems either at home or in the community.

This means that plastic waste often fills up in landfill.

Additionally, plastic loses quality when recycled, so it can't be reused many times.

Another big challenge in reducing plastic pollution is persuading companies and consumers to stop using plastic packaging.

This is because plastic is cheaper than alternatives like paper, glass, and wood.

It also keeps products fresh and safe, and is lightweight, durable, and easy to shape compared to alternatives.

This means companies are more likely to use it, which ultimately leads to more pollution.

So well done for getting this far.

You've been doing amazingly.

We're on our last part of our learning cycle now, and that is what strategies can help reduce plastic waste? So we've been thinking about the impacts of plastic pollution and how negative and damaging it is for the environment.

We've thought about the challenges that there are in reducing plastic waste, and now, we're going to consider what strategies can help reduce plastic waste.

What can we do? So how can we reduce plastic waste and prevent it from polluting the environment? Again, have a conversation with the person sat next to you.

Think about the ways that we can reduce plastic waste and prevent it from getting out into the environment and polluting it.

So there are several ways that we can help with this problem.

We can switch to reusable bags, bottles, and containers.

I'm sitting here using a reusable plastic bottle to drink my water from, as an example, we could recycle plastic properly to keep it out of landfills, make sure it goes in the correct bin, the plastic recycling bin, and not in our normal rubbish.

Okay, we could use paper, glass or metal instead of plastic when possible.

So think about, for example, when you're wrapping up your sandwiches to take them for a picnic or to school, what could you use instead of cling film, which is a single-use plastic, we could buy products with less or no plastic packaging.

And by doing that, we're showing to the companies that use plastic, we don't want plastic, we want different materials on our products.

So when you're buying our apples in the supermarket, maybe buy ones that aren't in a plastic bag and are loose instead and put them in a paper bag.

We could support eco-friendly brands that use sustainable practises.

So we could, instead of buying bottles of shampoo, for example, at the supermarket, you can buy refillable shampoo bottles and buy refillable shampoo.

So you're not consistently buying a plastic bottle each time.

You can buy in the supermarkets for your cleaning products, for example, little tablets that you then dilute in water and put into your cleaning bottles.

So again, you're not buying a new plastic cleaning bottle every time, you're buying the tablets to dilute in that.

And you're reusing the plastic bottle that you've already got.

We need to educate people on plastic's harms and encourage less use.

We've been learning today about the problems of plastic pollution and if we all talk about it, and we all think about it, and we educate each other about the problems of plastic pollution, then that's a really good way of helping to reduce plastic waste.

Another thing is to help clean up plastic waste in your community and waterways.

If you contact the council, for example, they will give to you litter pickers and a bin bag.

And you can go around and you can pick up all the plastic and recycle the plastic that might just be strewn around on the verges and in hedges and things like that.

And then we could campaign and lobby representatives, our MPs, for example, to create policies that limit plastic and promote recycling.

So which of the following would be a sustainable way to carry your sandwiches to school? A, wrapped in cling film or similar.

B, wrapped in foil or beeswax wrap.

Or C, carried in a reusable plastic box.

So which of the following will be a sustainable way to carry your sandwiches to school A, B, or C? Okay, there are two possible answers here.

First C, you could wrap them in foil, which is made from aluminium and can be recycled.

It's metal.

Or beeswax wrap.

Beeswax wrap is eco-friendly, biodegradable, and reusable.

And foil, as I've said, is reusable and is more easily recycled.

Or you could carry it in a reusable plastic box.

A plastic box can be washed and reused many times.

So those would be two sustainable ways to carry your sandwich to school.

What should you do with an empty plastic single-use bottle? A, throw it in the bin with other general waste.

B, wash it out and put it in the recycling bin.

Or C, switch to a more sustainable reusable water bottle.

So what should you do with an empty plastic single-use bottle? Okay, you should wash it out and put it in the recycling bins.

Well done if you got that right.

And it would be really good to switch to a more sustainable reusable water bottle rather than using single-use plastic bottles like the one I just showed you earlier where I'm reusing it because it's not single-use plastic.

Individual action is important, but it's also crucial for government action and policies to address plastic pollution on a larger scale.

So we can do our bit to reduce plastic waste at home, at school, but we also need the government to take action and introduce policies to address plastic pollution on a larger scale.

Yes, we can put pressure on companies to start reducing their plastic use, but actually, if the government take action against the use of plastic in everyday materials, then actually it would help to reduce that plastic pollution on a much larger scale.

So what action has the UK government taken to tackle the problem of plastic pollution? I wonder if you can think of any ideas of what the government has already done to try to tackle the problem of plastic pollution.

You may know some, so just pause the video for a second.

Have a conversation with the person sat next to you and think about what you know or what you can think of the UK government may have done already to tackle this problem.

So the government have introduced a plastic bag charge, and this was back in 2015, so it's a while ago now.

And that means that every time you go to the supermarket, they charge you for having a plastic bag and it will vary.

But usually, it's about 10p for a plastic bag and it's to try to encourage people to bring their own bags from home and reuse plastic bags or use better, more sustainable bags, like cloth bags for example.

They've also banned microbeads in 2018.

And some microbeads are tiny little plastic beads and they often come in body scrubs or face washes.

When you're scrubbing your face, there'll be tiny little micro beads or they used to be because they banned them now.

So you can't buy products with those in.

And obviously, you're washing your face that goes down the sink, the sink, the water goes into the system, and then where does it end up? It ends up in the oceans and it's dangerous to animals.

And they also banned single-use plastic straws.

So now you can't, when you're out and about, if ask for a straw, you'll often be given a paper one and you can buy things like metal straws or silicone straws, which are not single-use plastic.

They banned stirrers for your drinks.

And coffees that are made plastic and cotton buds are now also not made of plastic.

And those were all banned in 2020.

So again, fairly recently.

New rules are being introduced in 2025 that will make companies responsible for the entire lifecycle of their plastic products, including recycling.

So again, that's putting the pressure and the emphasis and onus back onto the company that uses plastic to make them responsible for that entire lifecycle of their plastic product.

Since 2022, the UK government has taxed plastic packaging with low recycled content.

So now you might see on your plastic packaging it says how much of this packaging is made from recycled plastic.

So the more recycled plastic that's been used in that packaging, the less tax that company has had to pay.

And so that's really good as well.

'Cause it's hopefully encouraging companies to use more recycled plastic rather than just making it afresh.

The UK government aims to recycle 65% of waste by 2035, not just plastic, all waste by 65%.

And it runs campaigns like Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to raise public awareness and help us to be educated about recycling, and reusing, and reducing our use of plastic.

The UK government also supports global efforts, including an international treaty to fight ocean plastic pollution.

So just check your understanding, fill in the blank.

The UK government has introduced a tax on plastic packaging that contains, what, recycled content to help tackle plastic pollution.

So the UK government has introduced a tax on plastic packaging that contains low recycled content to help tackle plastic pollution.

So what steps have been taken globally to tackle plastic pollution? This isn't just a problem in the UK, this is a problem globally.

You may have been to other countries and been swimming in the sea where there's loads of plastic or been on beaches or in other environmental areas like the mountains, the countryside, and just seeing lots of plastic.

It's not just a UK problem, this is a global problem.

And when the plastic, obviously, enters our rivers and goes into the sea, that doesn't just stay there, floats around the oceans, ends up in other parts of the world.

So what steps have been taken globally to tackle plastic pollution? So the UN, the United Nations Environment Programme in 2017, in this programme, over 60 countries joined the Clean Seas campaign to combat marine plastic pollution.

EU Plastics Strategy, so European Union aims to cut plastic waste, ban single-use plastics, and make all packaging recyclable by 2030.

Now, the UK is not part of the European Union anymore, but this is something, but the European Union, obviously, there are lots of countries in Europe that are members of that.

So if we get all those countries doing that, then that's going to cut global plastic pollution.

The Basel Convention Amendment in 2019 regulates plastic waste exports to prevent improper disposal.

So it regulates where you can take your plastic from.

So for example, it used to be in the UK, recycling would go from the UK to other countries or particularly low-income tax countries, it was highlighted on a programme that some of our plastic waste was ending up in Malaysia and there it wasn't being disposed of properly or recycled at all and disposed of properly.

And so this Basel Convention means that we can no longer in the UK do that.

We can't send our plastic recycling to other countries where it's not then disposed of properly, it's not then recycled.

It has to be recycled.

The Global Plastic Treaty in 2022, 200 countries have agreed to negotiate a treaty on plastic pollution, plastic use, and plastic waste.

So hopefully, you know, by these 200 countries signing up to negotiate a treaty, hopefully, that treaty, which is in negotiation at the moment, will come to fruition and really help to reduce plastic pollution globally.

And the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, target reducing marine plastic pollution by 2025 and protecting the ocean life.

So let's have a think.

What global action is being taken to help with the problem of plastic pollution? A, the creation of the global plastic treaty aimed at reducing and managing plastic waste.

B, a complete global ban on all plastic products including packaging and single-use items. Or C, a unified effort to manufacture more plastic packaging for consumer products.

So what global action is being taken to help with the problem of plastic pollution? A, B, or C? It is A, the creation of the global plastic treaty aimed at reducing and managing plastic waste.

So task C, what strategies could you use to reduce plastic waste? I would like you to create a list of actions you could take under each of the following headings, what I could do at home to reduce plastic waste, what I could do when I'm out and about to reduce plastic waste, and lastly, how I could make my voice heard by those in positions of power.

So under each of those headings, create a list of actions that you could take to reduce plastic waste.

Pause the video whilst you complete that task.

So well done for completing that task.

What strategies could you use to reduce plastic waste? And you may have written the following, "What I could do at home to reduce plastic waste, Rinse out used plastic packaging and put into the recycling bin.

Use reusable, more sustainable food packaging like beeswax wrap or a reusable plastic lunchbox.

Use a refillable water bottle whenever possible.

And use more sustainable products such as shampoo and conditioner bars, or refillable bottles, and diluting tablets for cleaning." As we discussed earlier.

Your answer could continue, "What I could do when I'm out and about to reduce plastic waste, say no to single-use plastic items like straws or cups, bring reusable items from home like a water bottle or cloth bag, and look for products with less plastic packaging or made from more sustainable materials." And, "How I could make my voice heard by those in positions of power.

I could raise awareness with schools or community groups to reduce plastic use." So you could talk about it at school and try to reduce your school's plastic waste or within your local community with your local council.

"You could write to representatives, MPs lobbying for more recycling of plastic waste.

And you could support business and policies that reduce plastic waste." So only buy from those that have more recycled plastic in their products or don't use plastic packaging at all.

And that would send a clear message.

So well done for today's lesson.

You've worked really hard and that has been a lot to think about.

So in summary, how's plastic damaging the environment? Plastic pollution is the buildup of plastic in the environment which harms wildlife, ecosystems, and human health.

Reducing plastic pollution requires using alternatives, recycling more effectively, and cutting down on single-use plastics.

Companies and consumers find it hard to stop using plastic packaging because it's durable, lightweight, and keeps products fresh.

Recycling can be challenging because different plastics require different processes.

Systems are not always available and the process is often more expensive than producing new plastic.

Policy change like the government's instruction of a plastic bag charge in 2015 is crucial in driving long-term solutions to plastic pollution.

So as I said, well done for today's lesson and I hope to see you again very soon.