Day 009 - 08 Jul 94 - Page 28
1 It is not the wraps, it is not the coke cups, it is not
the napkins. The largest portion of our waste are the
2 corrugated boxes. Our waste characterisation studies show
that one third of the waste that McDonald's has is
3 corrugated and the majority of our restaurants recycle
that.
4
Q. So the majority are recycling one third of the waste, but
5 two thirds of the waste, I think you said earlier, only a
handful of stores were involved in recycling?
6 A. That is correct. One third in general would be
recycled by restaurants; the other two thirds is not
7 recycled.
8 Q. Right. Then there is the take away stuff which obviously
you are not in a position to recycle?
9 A. Correct, but again our approach on the take away is,
to the best of our ability, to monitor, keep track, of
10 what is going on in the recycling industry and
infrastructure, so what we create that is taken home can
11 be recycled.
12 For example, when I eat my meal I bring my packaging home
to where I live. Most, not all, but many parts of that
13 I can put in my kerbside recycling bin.
14 Q. I think when you mention about, you try to make things so
the customer can recycle the packaging; is that right?
15 A. Sorry?
16 Q. You try -- I am not clear of the exact words you used --
to make the packaging so customers can recycle it if they
17 take it away?
A. Yes. One of our priorities is to make our packaging
18 so that if at all possible it could be recyclable when
taken home.
19
Q. Would I be right in thinking that a few years ago a lot of
20 McDonald's customers tried to help McDonald's recycle its
packaging by sending it back to the head office?
21 A. I am not aware of that. We received a lot of help
from our customers. We have a thousand restaurants
22 recycling. We have thousands, perhaps millions, of
people, you know, helping us out in our recycling
23 programme in our restaurants. We did initiate, where
I work in our home office in Oak Brook, we do have a
24 recycling programme where we take in, you know, the
packaging; when I eat my meal in our home office it is
25 recycled.
26 Q. Are you aware of the McToxics campaign?
A. Yes.
27
Q. That involved school children posting back the styrofoam
28 they had collected, McDonald's waste styrofoam, and
sending it back to McDonald's head office for you to
29 recycle?
A. That is not how I know of the McToxics campaign. What
30 I know of the McToxics campaign was the terminology used
by the citizens clearing house for hazardous waste. There
