Day 292 - 01 Nov 96 - Page 11


     
     1        conclusive, that similar propaganda for pilot schemes, and
     2        similar non-recycling by the company from pilot schemes,
     3        has happened in other countries as well.  Anyway, the main
     4        thing is that they have used their pilot schemes for
     5        propaganda purposes and they have not made any attempt to
     6        do customer recycling.
     7
     8        In fact, yes, Mr. Beavers recognised the benefits of
     9        in-store customer recycling of their packaging and that the
    10        working of it, quote, does not cause difficulty.  That is
    11        what he said, when he came back for his second stint.  So
    12        if a member of their US board of directors is prepared to
    13        go on record on that, then we feel the company clearly
    14        should be doing it if they claim to have any environmental
    15        concern.
    16
    17        Mr. Langet said that less than 10 stores out of 10,000 in
    18        the USA are now doing customer recycling.  In fact, we also
    19        heard, I think from Paul Preston when he came back, that
    20        the Manchester scheme had been abandoned.  And I will come
    21        on to that.  It seems that it was just getting to be on
    22        stream for actually effective use when the earlier
    23        witnesses were giving evidence.  And just at that moment
    24        the company decided to abolish it.
    25
    26        I mean, Edward Oakley  -- I couldn't find the exact
    27        document, but it is one of the McFact cards ----
    28
    29   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   I am pretty sure I have them in a note
    30        anyway.  That is an important part of your case, is it not,
    31        so far as the deception is concerned?
    32
    33   MR. MORRIS:   Yes, yes.  I mean, I am going to try and flag up
    34        the deception part of it.
    35
    36   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Carry on now.
    37
    38   MR. MORRIS:   Because there is a number of deceptions to look
    39        out for.  That is one of them.  There is another deception
    40        which is very important, which is the recycled paper which
    41        in America they cannot called paper recycled unless it is
    42        post consumer or contains substantial post consumer waste.
    43
    44        There is the deception on whenever they seem to, in a
    45        country, prefer polystyrene packaging, then they always say
    46        how paper packaging is more damaging to the environment.
    47        But where they have got paper packaging, they usually put
    48        out information saying that plastic packaging is more
    49        damaging to the environment.  So they always try to
    50        convince the customers that they are doing the right thing,
    51        but the net effect of it all is an admission that all types
    52        of packaging are inevitably damaging to the environment,
    53        that McDonald's has considered.
    54
    55        And if, as they say, although I do not think there is any
    56        substantial evidence on this whatsoever, certainly not
    57        reliable, that the use of knives, forks and spoons and
    58        plates is damaging to the environment, so what, we are not
    59        being sued by, you know, the population of the world for
    60        criticising the damaging effects of knives, forks, spoons

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