Day 062 - 06 Dec 94 - Page 05

     
     1   Q.   Suppose it was suggested to you, Mr. Van Erp -- I dare say
     2        it will be in due course -- that McDonald's professed
     3        public concern for the environment is simply a marketing
     4        device; what is your reaction it that?
     5        A.  Well, simply a marketing device is not a good term.
     6        One of the -- the aim of McDonald's is to please the
     7        customer, and if he can, if McDonald's can make sure that
     8        the customer feels himself good, himself/herself good,
     9        while visiting a McDonald's and one of those reasons is
    10        environmental, is the environment, then McDonald's will
    11        surely do so.  However, I think what I have seen besides
    12        that is that McDonald's realises that environmental
    13        consciousness, environmental awareness, goes hand in hand
    14        with being environmentally proactive, instead of awaiting
    15        legislation, awaiting when technological developments come
    16        along to hop on a bandwagon.  They have found that it pays,
    17        it is a market-driven, an economic incentive driven
    18        development as well.
    19
    20   Q.   In working for Perseco, Mr. Van Erp, do you deal with
         suppliers -- manufacturers, I mean, or different suppliers
    22        of packaging -- in different parts of Europe?
    23        A.  Yes.
    24
    25   Q.   Do you know whether McDonald's have sufficient financial
    26        muscle in that market to affect the environmental practices
    27        of those suppliers?
    28        A.  Yes, definitely.
    29
    30   Q.   To what extent are questions of environmental initiatives
    31        left for you to bring out and to what extent do they come
    32        from McDonald's in your partnership with McDonald's?
    33        A.  That varies.  We have got -- McDonald's have basically
    34        placed all responsibilities for, all the main
    35        responsibilities for, packaging with ourselves.  So, on a
    36        day-to-day basis, I would say the main input comes from our
    37        side.  I myself visit most of the suppliers on a relatively
    38        regular basis.  I do quality assurance audits and
    39        environmental audits with them, and at that point in time
    40        I will try to focus their minds on environmental management
         on a day-to-day basis.
    42
    43        If we are talking about specific environmental
    44        developments, then sometimes the main push is from
    45        McDonald's; if a specific country has specific
    46        requirements, the push may come from McDonald's.
    47        McDonald's may also say:  "We have got this problem.  Solve
    48        it for us.  Solve it with the supplier for us.  See what
    49        you can do in an area where a material can no longer be
    50        used or less material should be used", something like that. 
    51 
    52   Q.   I would like, before I come on to the different kinds of 
    53        packaging that are used by McDonald's, to ask you some
    54        general questions.  Do you, Mr. Van Erp, try to keep up
    55        with the environmental aspects of different forms of
    56        materials used for packaging?
    57        A.  Yes.
    58
    59   Q.   Have you, for example, you yourself personally, I mean, or
    60        your department in Perseco considered, for example, the