Day 062 - 06 Dec 94 - Page 06
1 argument as between using disposables for eating and
2 supplying food and using what are called reusables? Have
3 you considered that question?
4 A. Yes, I have.
5
6 Q. Leaving aside the questions of cost and of what I might
7 call user-friendliness and concentrating solely on the
8 environmental benefits or disadvantages of disposables
9 against reusables, where in your view does the balance lie?
10 A. It is difficult to say where it exactly lies, because
11 it depends a little bit on the various studies that have
12 been done, amongst others, by ourselves. The balance often
13 lies in the amount of times that you can use or reuse
14 reusables. Thus, we find that it is not very clear whether
15 disposables or whether reusables will be more favourable
16 because it can always be argued that they can be used more
17 or less times after one another in a restaurant. Based on
18 my own experience with McDonald's restaurants, I have so
19 far not seen many options that are favourable for
20 reusables.
21
22 Q. In considering that question have you taken into account
23 the issue of hygiene?
24 A. Hygiene has not been one of my main interests, it has
25 been generally taken into account and the evidence that
26 I have read so far, amongst others, from a study done in
27 the States, it suggests that the hygiene aspect, that there
28 is not really a comparison, that reusables are far worse
29 than anything that is found in disposables.
30
31 Q. Can I ask you for your comment on another confrontation, if
32 I can call it that, between the use of paper for wrapping
33 up products in and the use of polystyrene foam? Again if
34 you can remove from the question matters of cost and of
35 user-friendliness and so on and so forth, and look at, if
36 you will, from an environmental point of view, have you
37 considered that question from that point of view?
38 A. Yes, we have. Can I add something to that?
39
40 Q. Yes.
41 A. First of all, with comparing polystyrene versus paper
42 or board, you have to make clear what you want to compare
43 it with; whether it is paper or a wrap or board such as is
44 used in a clam shell in Europe. Since in Europe mostly the
45 clam shell and the two versions of the clam shell are used
46 -- the clam shell is the box, for terminology's sake --
47 the balance is somewhere in between.
48
49 If you look at a life cycle analysis of both of the
50 products, you will find out that the polystyrene clam shell
51 will use more water; you will find out that throughout its
52 life the paper clam shell will use more energy; you will
53 find out that water pollution in the area of soluble salts
54 is worse for the polystyrene clam shell; you will find out
55 that the COD is worse -- chemical oxygen demand is worse --
56 for the paperboard clam shell.
57
58 So, if you -- it is a balanced comparison. The foam clam
59 shell is better on some aspects, environmental aspects; the
60 paperboard clam shell is better on other environmental
