One type of recycling, called downcycling, involves repurposing a material into a new product of lesser quality. It can include varying grades of plastic, paper products, and other materials.

Downeycling     1     (know) as downstream recycling. It is most common in terms of     2     (industry) materials. These products lose their value as they are recycled,     3     limits their capacity for new use. Their recycled form is typically both weaker and cheaper     4     their original one. White writing paper, for example, is often downcycled into cardboard; once downcycled to this new form, it can no longer be used as white paper again.

    5     (give) products a new life is considered a good way to reuse materials and avoid waste. Once downcycled to their full capacity however, these materials are eventually so degraded that they cannot be reused further. Since downcycled products are considered of lower quality than their original form, they cannot be used in remaking their original product.

Products are provided with codes     6     (determine) their grades and whether or not they may be recycled. Plastic, glass, and aluminium products     7     (code) with the number one may be remade into something     8     equal or greater value. This type of recycling is known as upcycling, and represents the forward compatibility of recycled components.

Items available for downcycling often require additional chemicals, energy,     9     other treatments in order to transform them into something usable. Durable plastic products in particular require much additional treatment. Trash bins, tables, and chairs are also considered materials with     10     high energy cost to recycle.

Growing numbers of travelers are deciding not     1    (fly) in order to help save the planet even if it means     2    (spend) days on a train. The no-fly movement is small but many    3    have joined it think it will eventually receive       4     same attention as the no-plastic or less-meat movements because of flying’s 2%     5    (contribute) to carbon emissions, which they say could rise to 16% by 2050. Some supporters suggest that people should fly no more than once per year and any further flights should be taxed. Critics of the movement, however, argue that most flying is done by small numbers of people when     6    (compare)to other forms of transport and so flying is an easy target. Much more environmental damage is done by cars they argue. But people won’t target     7     (driver) because the majority of people drive. In addition, the no-fly movement     8     (lead) by people who don’t really need to travel very far and have plenty     9     free time to spare. Most people who fly, they say,     10    (rare) have time to spend extra days getting to destinations and employers are unlikely to give employees extra time off so they can be kind to the environment.

Yesterday we opened the floor for discussion about the     1     (protect) of the environment. The fact is known     2    vast areas of the world are damaged by chemical waste. Many places have been destroyed and many plants and animals     3    (die). Factories produce large numbers of harmful chemicals. The waste they create    4    (go) into the atmosphere and makes us sick. Other types of waste flow into our water,    5    (make) river and sea life dead. Meanwhile, large numbers of fish are caught before     6    (them) lay eggs.

It is our duty    7    (try) to cut back on production and reduce the number of things we make and buy. The amount of rubbish we produce is turning into a big problem; we need to think more     8     recycling our waste. It would be good to increase the amount of waste we recycle,    9     teach people ways of living that do not harm the environment. We may even create more jobs and help our country become more     10    (develop) at the same time.