Pressure increased recently on British supermarkets and retailers to reduce
packaging as part of an anti-waste campaign. {{U}} {{U}} 1
{{/U}} {{/U}}Britain generates 4.6 million tons of household waste every year
by packaging. Dozens of people have expressed anger at the
excess of plastic wrapping. Campaigners have called on Britain to learn from
other European countries. {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}When
returned bottles are put in a vending machine (自动售货机), the deposit is refunded.
Environmentalists warn that Britain lags behind in this. There
were reports of growing unease among consumers over the amount of packaging they
have to deal with. Trade standards officers also object to excessive packaging.
{{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}In response to a campaign by
Britain's The Independent newspaper, leading supermarkets have pointed to
various initiatives to win the public confidence. {{U}} {{U}} 4
{{/U}} {{/U}} But campaigners said retailers and the
government could learn much from anti-waste practices on the Continent. In
Sweden, non-recyclable batteries have been taxed since 1991 to encourage a
switch to alternatives. {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}In Germany,
plastic bags are unheard of in supermarkets and deposits are paid for reusable
plastic and glass beverage bottles. A. In Belgium, when you buy
something in a plastic or glass container, you make a deposit.
B. This is because too much padding can give buyers a false impression of what
they are buying. C. This has resulted in a 74 percent reduction
in sales. D. Tesco said it was saving 112,000 tons of cardboard
a year by switching to reusable plasticcrates (装货箱) for transporting its fresh
produce. E. The campaign was initiated by The Independent
newspaper. F. If a product is over-packaged, don't buy
it.