Day 060 - 02 Dec 94 - Page 28
1 says: "It is highly flammable, a potential health threat
2 to workers. It also oxydises quickly in sunlight helping
3 to cause smogs". Is that something you are aware of?
4 A. As I mentioned yesterday morning, when I asked Lin Pac
5 to revert to Pentane as a blowing agent, they told me the
6 material is much more flammable than the current material
7 they have been using, and that was one of the reasons they
8 did not want to change.
9
10 Q. Right. Are you aware of the concerns about causing smogs?
11 A. I am not, no.
12
13 Q. You are not aware of that?
14 A. No. That was never mentioned to me as a concern.
15
16 Q. Would it cause you to ask Lin Pac to stop using Pentane, to
17 stop using blowing foam if it were true, if you found out
18 it were true?
19 A. It may do; it may depend on a degree and whether this
20 was proved or not. This is the first time I have seen that
21 written. I think, as I also said yesterday, it may speed
22 us into the next generation of blowing agents, which we are
23 already well down the line on.
24
25 Q. There are some countries where you do not use polystyrene
26 foam at all, are there not?
27 A. Yes.
28
29 Q. So, is there any reason why you cannot do that in this
30 country?
31 A. No.
32
33 MR. MORRIS: It is also possible to make polystyrene without
34 using blowing -- sorry, to use plastic packaging without
35 using blowing agents, is it not? In some countries
36 McDonald's actually use non-blown polystyrene; is that
37 correct?
38 A. It is not possible to make non-blown polystyrene, no.
39
40 Q. Sorry, non-blown plastic packaging?
41 A. Non-blown plastic packaging, yes, but not polystyrene.
42
43 Q. It escapes my mind. There is one country that has been
44 specifically mentioned in McDonald's document that did not
45 use any blowing agents?
46 A. But that is not polystyrene.
47
48 Q. Which country is that, do you know?
49 A. I do not know, but it would not be polystyrene because
50 you have to use a blowing agent for that.
51
52 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I think we are going around in circles a
53 little now because, obviously, you can use something other
54 than polystyrene for better or worse. Mr. Oakley gave the
55 reasons why that has not proved attractive to McDonald's in
56 this country.
57
58 MS. STEEL: Mr. Oakley, going back onto the subject of CFCs.
59 You either were not aware or you were not bothered about
60 the environmental effects of using CFCs in your packaging,
