About 50 or so kinds modern plastic are made from oil, gas, or coal-non-renewable natural resources. We (15)___ well over three million tons of the stuff in Japan each year and, sooner or later, most of it is thrown away. A high proportion of our animal consumption is in the (16)____ of packaging and this constitutes about seven percent by weight, of our domestic(17) ____ . Almost all of it can be recycled, but very little of it is, though the plastic recycling industry is growing fast. The ...

About 50 or so kinds modern plastic are made from oil, gas, or coal-non-renewable natural resources. We (15)___ well over three million tons of the stuff in Japan each year and, sooner or later, most of it is thrown away. A high proportion of our animal consumption is in the (16)____ of packaging and this constitutes about seven percent by weight, of our domestic(17) ____ . Almost all of it can be recycled, but very little of it is, though the plastic recycling industry is growing fast. The plastics themselves are extremely energy - rich – they have a higher calorific(18) ____ than coal and one methodn of “recovery” strongly (19)____ by plastic manufacturers if the conversion of waste plastic into a fuel.