Day 247 - 10 May 96 - Page 51
1 there any reason why, in the UK, you have not changed to
2 the environmentally preferable paper wraps?
3 A. I do not agree that it is.
4
5 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No. Do you not remember, you were making a
6 point several months ago that the USA said that paper was
7 better environmentally rather than UK was saying
8 polystyrene was, and it sounds as though Australia sides
9 with the USA. Whether that is inconsistency on the part of
10 the Corporation or because different conditions prevail in
11 different countries I do not know.
12
13 MR. MORRIS: Is it generally the policy of McDonald's that
14 whatever they happen to be doing happens to coincide in the
15 PR relations as the most environmentally preferable and,
16 therefore, it can be completely contradictory from what one
17 country is doing to what another country is doing?
18 A. I think his Lordship just touched on the thing a few
19 seconds ago. The market conditions, situations in
20 Australia, situations up in Norway, situations in the
21 United States, are all quite different and we have to
22 respond to those local needs and requirements and rules and
23 regulations in each of the nations where we trade, and we
24 do just that.
25
26 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What is being put to you is that, regardless
27 of the facts underneath, perceptions are different. So,
28 regardless of what the facts are it might be perceived by
29 the average American that polystyrene does more harm than
30 paper?
31 A. It is true.
32
33 Q. And it in this country it might be perceived that paper
34 does more harm than polystyrene, and what Mr. Morris is
35 putting to you is that you go by the perception rather than
36 what is environmentally for the better. Do you
37 understand? You pander to the perception rather than the
38 environmental factors; that is what is being put to you.
39 A. I believe the perception is very much part of the real
40 world we live in. I wish the facts were always what people
41 believed. Emotion enters into the picture and we have to
42 respond to those on a local market by local market basis.
43
44 MR. MORRIS: Basically, your environmental leaflets are
45 generally propaganda trying to justify what the practices
46 of the Corporation are, and you say one thing in one
47 country and another thing in another country just because
48 it is following what the packaging happens to be in that
49 country?
50 A. We are?
51
52 Q. It is just propaganda is it not?
53 A. It is guided by local rules, regulations and customs
54 and I would very much like to be able sometimes to say one
55 issue fits all. That is just not the real world.
56
57 Q. While we are on this document, we might as well deal with
58 this file. Advertising, which is tab 4 subsection (6).
59 I am going to ask you a question. I do not know if you
60 have subsection (6) separated out.
