Luyện theo cấu trúc Cambridge IELTS 5 · Writing Task 1 + 2: Supermarket Food Waste & Urban Noise

The table compares how much food supermarkets in one country threw away in 2014 and 2024, broken down into five categories, and what proportion of it was donated or turned into animal feed.

Overall, total supermarket food waste fell over the decade, and a much larger share of it was put to good use in 2024. Fresh produce remained the largest source of waste throughout, while ready meals were the only category in which waste increased.

In 2014, supermarkets wasted 386 thousand tonnes of food, a figure which had dropped to 315 thousand tonnes ten years later. Fresh fruit and vegetables accounted for the greatest amount in both years, despite declining from 142 to 118 thousand tonnes. The sharpest falls were in dairy, from 61 to 38 thousand tonnes, and bakery items, which decreased by roughly a quarter. By contrast, waste from ready meals rose from 33 to 41 thousand tonnes.

As for redistribution, the overall percentage of wasted food that was donated or used as feed more than doubled, from 12% to 31%. Bakery products had the highest rate in both years, reaching almost half (48%) in 2024, while the figure for fresh produce nearly tripled to 35%. Meat, fish and ready meals, however, were still redistributed far less often, at 14% and 11% respectively.

As cities grow denser, the constant sound of traffic, construction and nightlife has become a daily source of stress for millions of residents. While some argue that only firm legislation can solve this problem, others feel that it is up to individuals to behave more considerately. In my view, both are necessary, but government regulation should take the leading role.

Those who favour personal responsibility make a reasonable point. Much urban noise comes from everyday behaviour, such as playing loud music late at night, sounding car horns unnecessarily or holding noisy parties in apartment blocks. Laws cannot easily control every one of these situations, and enforcing them would require a huge number of inspectors. If people simply showed more respect for their neighbours, a large part of the problem would disappear without any official involvement.

However, I believe this argument underestimates the scale of the issue. The loudest and most persistent sources of noise, including heavy traffic, airports, factories and building sites, are not under the control of ordinary residents at all. Only governments have the power to set limits on construction hours, require quieter road surfaces or restrict night flights. Moreover, noise is increasingly recognised as a health issue, linked to poor sleep and high blood pressure, and protecting public health has always been a core responsibility of the state. Without clear rules, businesses have little incentive to invest in quieter equipment.

In conclusion, although individuals can certainly reduce the noise they create in their own homes and streets, the most serious causes of urban noise can only be addressed through legislation. I therefore believe that governments should introduce and enforce strict noise regulations, while also running campaigns to encourage more considerate behaviour among citizens.