Day 008 - 07 Jul 94 - Page 29
1 A. Only the organic material would be compostable.
2 Q. Would you have to strip it first?
A. There are different ways you could do it. You could
3 also filter it at the end, if you wanted to, but in the
end that 15 per cent of plastic that I said was in the
4 middle is inorganic; it will not break down.
5 Q. But you could at any rate compost a proportion of your
paper waste?
6 A. And we are in some restaurants -- we are testing that
concept.
7
Q. Does that exist on a large scale, that facility?
8 A. No.
9 Q. The municipalities do not run composting facilities?
A. There are a few, very small -- handful.
10
Q. Did you say that it was in its infancy?
11 A. Yes.
12 Q. Is it something you are looking to in the future?
A. Absolutely. I think it is one of the most potentially
13 hopeful technologies for our business.
14 Q. I was going to ask you this: To use the broader range of
materials to put into the compost, including paper, what
15 can you use the end product for?
A. Agricultural and land application uses.
16
MR. JUSTICE BELL: I mean, some gardeners put newspaper in
17 their compost heaps, do they not? It goes with all other
garden vegetable matter, or am I wrong?
18 A. Well, I have not seen that in the States, but that
would biodegrade. That would compost and that would
19 become part of the earth. I can see it happening.
20 MR. RAMPTON: Paper which is made from trees is, what,
basically cellulose, is it?
21 A. Yes. I think it is about half or slightly more than
half of the tree.
22
Q. So, let us put composting on one side because it is still
23 in its infancy even in 1994, and go on with this document,
if we may. It continues: "The results of the task force
24 far exceeded our expectations and original goals. What
started as a cautious venture for both parties ended in a
25 successful partnership." Did the EDF treat you with a
degree of caution at the outset and vice versa?
26 A. Yes.
27 Q. Were they sceptical of your motives?
A. I do not think so. I think they did not know us.
28
MR. JUSTICE BELL: Your account is that they picked you as
29 promising material?
A. Right. They had seen us, for instance, I mentioned
30 the CONAG presentation I made. They had seen what we had
done. They had seen us in the public. They had seen the
