Day 243 - 02 May 96 - Page 12
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2 MR. MORRIS: 43.
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4 MR. JUSTICE BELL: "High class and other restaurants".
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6 MR. MORRIS: "43. A takeaway service has more apparent need for
7 disposables. However, McDonald's could choose not to
8 operate a takeaway service for this reason. On the
9 contrary, I am informed that the takeaway share of the
10 business is 50 per cent and is expected to increase with an
11 increase in the number of drive-thru's in which most custom
12 is takeaway. It clearly intends to produce more, rather
13 than less waste.
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15 44. The existence of McDonald's and its present set-up
16 increases the amount of solid waste which has to be dealt
17 with.
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19 45. Even if a takeaway service is operated, however, waste
20 prevention could still be carried out. There could be
21 greater emphasis on products such as pittas which use
22 little packaging. Returnable containers could be supplied
23 with a redeemable deposit; customers could bring these back
24 the next time they came for a meal, and they would be
25 either reused immediately if clean, or washed and
26 sterilised for another customer. Any dropped in the street
27 would be picked up by people anxious to make a bit of
28 money. People who collected a large number could be
29 rewarded with a complimentary (eat in) meal. These durable
30 items would advertises McDonald's and its environmental
31 concern in a better way than the present environment/index.html">litter problems
32 do. Many companies do operate viable return systems in
33 other countries, for example, Coca Cola in Holland.
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35 46. There are many examples of returnable packaging
36 systems that substantially reduce waste. Customers' own
37 plastic fizzy drink (PET) bottles can be refilled in US
38 stores, and in Norway Coca Cola use a returnable PET bottle
39 for smaller households and outside the home. Polycarbonate
40 can be used for durable plastic returnable bottles - it is
41 used for milk bottles in the USA and Sweden. A durable
42 polypropene beaker is used at festivals in Munich: a
43 deposit is charged and a return rate is 100 per cent.
44 Beakers like this could be used for McDonald's soft drinks;
45 they are available now, although the catering company first
46 had to commission them itself."
47
48 Do you mean the catering company ----
49 A. That deals with the festival.
50
51 Q. -- in Munich?
52 A. Yes.
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54 Q. "Sturdy returnable glass bottles could also be used for
55 soft drinks, as is done for beer in the UK and for mineral
56 waters in Germany. Many of these examples, and others are
57 in the report; Well Packed by W Richert and H Venner,
58 Milieudefensie, Netherlands, August 1994."
59
60 Is that your signature?
