Day 059 - 01 Dec 94 - Page 42


     
     1   Q.   As you say, insulation or tables and chairs perhaps?
     2        A.  Yes, some kind of plastic reinforcement.
     3
     4   Q.   If the project has been so recalcitrant, a child, why is it
     5        you are still persisting with it?
     6        A.  Really, the ball is in Lin Pac's court currently.  They
     7        have the recycling plant.  We have the polystyrene packages
     8        in our restaurants.  They have to find some way of
     9        converting that polystyrene through the plant, through
    10        their factory and back to us again.  Until they do, we will
    11        persevere because we think it is the right thing to do.
    12        Ultimately, it stops these packages going into landfill
    13        which is not an issue today but it may be one day.
    14
    15   Q.   Can I move then from polystyrene foam to paper, but before
    16        I do that, I would like to ask you this:  Three means
    17        identified by people interested in the topic, the 3 Rs, and
    18        ways of reducing the amount of materials used and the
    19        amount of materials put into the waste stream are
    20        reduction, recycling and reuse?
    21        A.  Right.
    22
    23   Q.   Of those three approaches -- of course, they can all go
    24        together, I understand that -- reduction, recycling and
    25        reuse, which do you see as being the most effective, if
    26        any, in achieving the success which you would like to see?
    27        A.  It is a hard question and it is a balance between
    28        reducing the amount of packaging that is used and recycling
    29        the amount of packaging that is used.  I would not like to
    30        say that one took priority over the other.
    31
    32   Q.   Does McDonald's do any of those things, reduction or
    33        recycling?
    34        A.  Sorry?
    35
    36   Q.   Does McDonald's reduce or recycle?
    37        A.  Oh, yes, absolutely -- both.
    38
    39   Q.   Both.  Can we have a look at paper, first of all?  When one
    40        speaks of recycled paper, must one recognise that there are
    41        two senses in which that word is used, recycled?
    42        A.  Yes.
    43
    44   Q.   That is to say, post-consumer waste and what one might call
    45        saw mill or industrial waste; is that right?
    46        A.  Correct.
    47
    48   Q.   When McDonald's speaks of recycled content in its paper
    49        packaging, does it distinguish between those two kinds of
    50        recycled content? 
    51        A.  No, it does not. 
    52 
    53   Q.   Do you personally know whether it is possible to say for
    54        any particular packaging product what the proportions
    55        between those two different kinds of recycled material is
    56        likely to be?
    57        A.  In our case, it is not possible to say.
    58
    59   Q.   One might suppose there are really two kinds of paper
    60        packaging used by a company like yours; one would be that

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