The Roadmap Report
C1 Unit 2: The return of the milkman
BEFORE YOU WATCH
1 a Work in pairs. Imagine you’re going
to purchase the following items.
What factors would you consider
when deciding what to buy (e.g.
price, appearance, brand, etc.)?
• a pair of trainers
• a dining table
• a bar of chocolate
• a chicken (to eat)
b Which factor is the most important
to you? Why?
2 Read the report on ethical
consumerism. Choose the best
summary (a, b or c).
a Thanks to advances in technology,
it is now easier for consumers to
make more ethical choices than it
was 20 years ago.
b There has been a sizeable increase in
the UK market for ethical products
over the last twenty years, driven
largely by an increased awareness of
global issues.
c The consumer habits of millennials
are driving the shift to ethical
products in the UK.
3 Read the text again. Are the
sentences true (T), false (F) or
not given (NG)?
1 In 2017, average household spending
on ethical products in the UK was four
times higher than in 2000.
2 According to the text, ethical
consumers may avoid buying products
made in certain countries.
3 Living in the information age
increases consumers’ consciousness
of how the products they buy affect
other people.
4 According to a 2015 report, around
two thirds of millennials said they’d
spend more on products that were
environmentally friendly.
5 People in their twenties and
thirties are more likely to spend
money on brands with similar beliefs
to their own.
6 The majority of British businesses
have altered the way they operate in
response to consumer demand.
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Corresponds with Lesson 2A
The growth of ethical consumerism
1 Introduction
The UK market for ethical products has quadrupled over the last twenty
years, and ethical consumption is on the rise worldwide. The purpose of
this report is to examine the factors behind this trend and its impact.
2 Background
Put simply, being an ethical consumer means buying products which
were made without harming the environment, animals or society, for
example buying Fairtrade coffee or boycotting clothing companies that
use sweatshops. The UK market for ethical products grew fourfold
between 2000 and 2017 to around £83 billion, with average household
spending around £1,238 in 2017. Over the same period, there was a
significant rise in the number of people identifying as vegetarian or vegan
and choosing to buy pre-loved clothing and shop in zero-waste stores.
3 Reasons for the increase in ethical consumerism
Due to technological advances, most people now have a wealth of
information at their fingertips and, as a result, a raised awareness of how
their actions affect the wider world, making them more conscious of the
choices they make. It is harder for them to ignore the damaging effects
of their consumer habits and they want to reduce their impact on the
environment and society while also pushing businesses to reduce theirs.
4 Demographics of ethical consumers
A 2015 report showed that 66 percent of respondents would pay extra
for products from sustainable brands, up from 50 percent in 2013. This
figure rose to almost three quarters of Millennials and Generation Z and a
2018 survey showed that around a third of under-34 year olds said that
they had avoided a product or service due to its negative impact on the
environment. These younger consumers are considered to be more
discerning shoppers who readily spend more on products they believe
will have a positive social and environmental impact and who choose to
shop from brands whose values resonate with them.
5 Impact on businesses
The change in mindset towards ethical shopping is driving businesses
to change their practices and products. This is seen in a number of
ways, for instance the wider range of organic food, Fairtrade products
and plant-based meat alternatives stocked in most British supermarkets
or IKEA’s pledge to use only wood from sustainable sources or recycled
wood by the end of 2020.
6 Conclusion
A greater knowledge of the effect consumer habits have on the environment,
social justice and animal welfare is reflected in the rapid growth of the
ethical product market. These concerns are particularly prevalent in
younger generations and as a result, the pivotal role consumers are playing
in making companies more sustainable and ethical looks set to continue.
 The Roadmap Report
C1 Unit 2: The return of the milkman   Corresponds with Lesson 2A

7 Watch the video again from 03:41 to the end. Complete the
WHILE YOU WATCH
sentences with no more than three words.

4 a Work in pairs. You are going to watch

a video about milk delivery in the UK.
Why do you think people choose to
have milk delivered rather than buying
it from a supermarket? Discuss the
question with your partner.

b Watch the video and check your ideas.

5 Watch the video again and answer

the questions. 1 Her primary reason for getting 2 The three main reasons they give
1 How long has Steve been working as a her milk delivered is to reduce for getting milk deliveries are:
milkman? of and
using plastic. a desire to use a local company.
2 What reason does Steve give for the
demise of milkmen?

3 Why has milk delivery made a

comeback in recent years?

4 Apart from milk, what other products

does Steve deliver?
5 What are some of the reasons Steve’s
customers give for getting a milk
delivery?
6 What does Steve like best about his job?
6 Watch the video again from the start
to 03:40. Read the sentences and
choose the correct alternatives.
1 More than fifty percent of primary
school age children will work in
technology/work in jobs which don’t
exist now.
2 About 4000/40,000 people worked
as milkmen in the 1970s.
3 After virtually disappearing in the
80s/90s, the numbers of milkmen are
increasing again.
4 When he first started working, Steve
used to deliver milk to a larger/smaller
area than he does now.
5 Steve’s delivery vehicle is powered by
electricity/biofuels.
6 Steve thinks the revival of milk
deliveries is probably a fad /permanent.
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3 He says that everyone in the local
community the job
that Steve does.
8 a Work in pairs. Read the extract from the video. What do you think
get more out of it means?
Hannah: Well, it is so lovely, I mean in my short time helping you,
we’ve been waving at people and it’s so, such a nice feeling.
Steve: Yeah, it’s great. It just makes the job better. You get more
out of it.
b Work in pairs. Discuss the questions.
1 What could you do to get more out of your job/studies?
2 Are you the kind of person who always tries to get the most out of life?
AFTER YOU WATCH
9 Work in groups. Discuss the questions.
1 Are milk deliveries usual in your country? If not, did they use to be
commonplace?
2 What other jobs can you think of that have made a comeback from the
brink of extinction?
3 Can you think of any jobs which are commonplace now, but which didn’t
exist twenty years ago?
10 a Work in two groups. Group A make notes about why you agree with
the statement below. Group B make notes about why you disagree.
Try to think of examples to support your arguments.
Ethically-made, sustainable products are a luxury that not everyone
can afford.
b Debate the statement with the whole class.