Day 062 - 06 Dec 94 - Page 18


     
     1        was made in 1991.  I do not exactly remember the month.
     2
     3   Q.   Never mind.  It says here that the minimum recycled content
     4        has got to be 50 per cent?
     5        A.  Yes.
     6
     7   Q.   Has that changed since 1992 or is it the same?
     8        A.  No, we started at 35.  We then moved on to 50 per cent
     9        which is barely the status at this time, and that has
    10        remained the requirement, has remained there, because even
    11        though the actual percentage has far over, far surpassed
    12        that, the requirement has stayed at 50 per cent because of
    13        reasons of strength where it was difficult to pull one
    14        straight line for all suppliers where some have much
    15        heavier cases, so, therefore, much larger strength
    16        requirements than other suppliers.
    17
    18   Q.   Then can we look at the tables?  I am principally
    19        interested in the second table, "Recycled Material used in
    20        1991" and, in particular, in the various carry-out bags
    21        that are listed as the first five things in the table.
    22        There is an A which has 80 per cent recycled material, then
    23        there are two kinds of B, one with 60 per cent and one with
    24        80 per cent, and two kinds of C, also 60 and 80 per cent.
    25        Can I ask you, what are the reasons for those variations?
    26        A.  OK.  A, B and C are the different types of bags that
    27        are being used within the McDonald's system; A bag being a
    28        small bag, B a larger one and C a still somewhat larger
    29        one.  The differences in percentages is that we switched at
    30        that time from 60 to 80 per cent recycled material.
    31
    32   Q.   I see -- some time during 1991?
    33        A.  Sometime during 1991.
    34
    35   Q.   What is the position at the moment with carry-out bags in
    36        Europe?
    37        A.  In the UK we are currently at a minimum requirement of
    38        80 per cent recycled content.
    39
    40   Q.   How does that work out in practice?
    41        A.  In practice, it is in general somewhat higher.  It can
    42        be up to 100 per cent.  That depends a little bit on the
    43        recycled material, the quality of the paper that the paper
    44        supplier can buy at that point in time.  If he has got very
    45        good paper with high quality characteristics, he can put in
    46        obviously a higher percentage recycled, but he can only
    47        guarantee 80 per cent because sometimes he cannot buy all
    48        the perfect quality that is available.  So, sometimes he
    49        has to put in some virgin paper, virgin pulp.
    50 
    51   Q.   I know to you, Mr. Van Erp, this is probably blindingly 
    52        obvious, but what happens to paper as it goes through the 
    53        recycling chain, as it were?  Can I put it this way:  Is
    54        there a difference in the length of fibre between virgin
    55        paper and recycled paper?
    56        A.  Yes, there is.  The process of recycling cuts paper
    57        fibres down, basically, and so in the process of recycling
    58        paper fibres tend to get shorter and shorter and,
    59        therefore, lose part of their strength characteristics.
    60

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