IELTS 11 Writing Model Essay (Free sample)
Test 2 Task 2 Question
Write about the following topic:
Some people claim that not enough of the waste from homes is recycled. They say that the only way to increase recycling is for governments to make it a legal requirement.
To what extent do you think laws are needed to make people recycle more of their waste?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Test 2 Task 2 Model Essay by an Expert
Hong Kong’s landfill sites are filling up fast. If waste levels continue to increase at the current rate, they will all be full by 2020. In such a small geographical area, recycling is an essential part of solving the problem of waste. This essay explains why a combined approach of mandatory recycling and simplified processes would most effectively incentivise people to recycle their domestic waste.
Nobody enjoys sorting their rubbish, and for this reason, the only way to ensure that everybody recycles their waste is to make it mandatory. Compared to simply chucking everything into one bin, sorting waste is a much more time-consuming and inconvenient process. No matter how much people are educated about the environmental benefits of recycling, a sense of duty to the environment has simply not proved to be enough to encourage people to spend extra time sorting their rubbish. A more drastic measure is required to ensure that everybody fulfils their environmental responsibility: making it illegal not to recycle one’s waste.
However, illegalising non-recycling would not be an effective measure if recycling remained as confusing as it currently is. A recent survey in Hong Kong revealed that 73% of people are unsure about what can and can’t be recycled. According to the survey, the most typical reaction to experiencing such uncertainty was to send the confusing item to landfill. A clearer labelling system on packaging, more consistent rules across districts and public information campaigns, combined with mandatory recycling laws, would motivate and enable people to form the environmentally-friendly habit of recycling their waste.
To summarise, it is evident that laws are necessary to force people to take part in this inconvenient but essential activity. However, for the laws to be effective, the process of recycling should be made simpler, with more clarity about what should be recycled and how.
(304 words)
