Day 003 - 30 Jun 94 - Page 29


     
     1        agree, produces a good deal of waste of one kind or
              another?
     2        A.  We do.
 
     3   Q.   It uses a good of deal of resources?
              A.  We do.
     4
         Q.   What are your company's policies in relation to the use
     5        and the disposal of waste?
              A.  The entire thrust of the company regarding waste is
     6        reduce, recycle and reuse.
 
     7   Q.   Who do those things mean?
              A.  In a practical sense, maybe an example would work
     8        best.  From a standpoint of reduce, until about two years
              ago we packaged our beverage syrups in plastic jugs, four
     9        to a box, covered in cardboard.  It created a large amount
              of waste.  We embarked on a programme of packaging our
    10        syrups in bulk, whereby eliminating the plastic jugs
              completely, eliminating the outer cardboard completely,
    11        delivering syrup to our restaurants in sterile 75 gallon
              stainless tanks.
    12
         Q.   Is that a thing like a petrol tanker?
    13        A.  That is the principle.  75 gallons is not what you
              would find at a petrol station, much much smaller, but
    14        certainly manageable and capable of being kept in good
              order.  We have also in terms of packaging made a
    15        concerted effort to use recycled materials wherever we
              can, being also conscious we do not want recycled
    16        materials in contact with food.
 
    17   Q.   Why not?
              A.  Well, it makes me nervous I guess. The here does not
    18        say you cannot, but I think it is common sense and good
              business to keep virgin pulp, virgin paper in contact with
    19        food that people are in fact going to consume.  We have
              made that effort to sort of layer our packaging, where
    20        there is virgin material on the inside and the outside and
              the middle becomes recycled post-manufactured material.
    21
         Q.   Can I ask you separately about paper and polystyrene foam
    22        in relation to recycling?  Have you attempted to recycle
              the polystyrene you use?
    23        A.  We embarked on a project with our supplier of expanded
              polystyrene foam.  Their name is Lyn Pak.  We embarked on
    24        a programme of taking our boxes, the polystyrene boxes,
              and polystyrene from other companies whom they could do a
    25        contract with, to return them to a factory, grind them
              back up again and turn the resultant pellets into other 
    26        things.  It might be carpet fibre, it might be plastic 
              furniture that you use in your garden; it could be 
    27        something in a car park against which when you drive in
              your wheels hit a little stop made of this material.
    28        I have even heard of it being used for the lining in ski
              jackets.  It is a great insulator.  Technology has not
    29        moved as fast as we would like it to.
 
    30   Q.   Can you pause there because I want to ask you if you
              remember when this project was initiated between you and

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