Day 060 - 02 Dec 94 - Page 17


     
     1   Q.   But you make the policy that you want to -- you say that
     2        you are interested in recycling, you have claimed that you
     3        are interested in recycling some of your waste?
     4        A.  For non-food packaging, yes.
     5
     6   Q.   You have said that Lin Pac at your behest, yes, opened a
     7        recycling facility?
     8        A.  Right.
     9
    10   Q.   For four of your restaurants in tests in 1992, I believe it
    11        was.  So, if they are going to be putting reasons to you
    12        why they cannot do it, you are obviously going to be
    13        looking into that in great depth, are you not, because it
    14        will not be conforming to your stated policy objective?
    15        A.  If they are going to be putting reasons why they cannot
    16        do what?
    17
    18   Q.   They are not achieving this recycling, are they?
    19        A.  They said they were not ready to expand, certainly,
    20        when I asked them to.  I understand they nearly are ready
    21        to expand today.
    22
    23   Q.   When you wanted to change your packaging from CFCs back to
    24        pentane, yes?
    25        A.  Yes.
    26
    27   Q.   There was a bit of unhappiness from the suppliers, but the
    28        pressure was on.  You personally supervised that situation?
    29        A.  I did.
    30
    31   Q.   Got everybody moving and, hey presto, despite extra money
    32        that had to be spent, the packaging was changed?
    33        A.  Right.
    34
    35   Q.   So, you do not know, from what you have said, exactly what
    36        the problems are in this plant in Cheshire?
    37        A.  As I explained yesterday, the reason they did not
    38        expand at the time I asked them to was, in fact, because so
    39        much of the work that was carried out in the plant was
    40        mechanical sorting of waste.  They did not feel they could
    41        cope with the vast volume of polystyrene packages we would
    42        generate from 50 restaurants.  They felt they needed more
    43        experience to be able to automate that system.
    44
    45        Now, I understand, they are close to being able to automate
    46        that system.  Mr. Van Erp (who will be giving evidence next
    47        week) works closely with Lin Pac and can probably update
    48        you with more details of that; I would think almost
    49        definitely could update you with more details.
    50 
    51   Q.   Your position is that this is a policy objective? 
    52        A.  We would like this project to go forward, yes. 
    53
    54   Q.   So, if I put it to you that the Manchester recycling
    55        operation and the Lin Pac efforts are another propaganda
    56        show, so the company can splash itself across the press as
    57        being concerned about recycling its waste, would you agree
    58        with that?
    59        A.  No, of course not.  Lin Pac would hardly make a huge
    60        investment in a recycling plant for a propaganda show, as

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