Day 075 - 17 Jan 95 - Page 24

     
     1        hoof, as it were, varies enormously.  Some people take
     2        longer than others.  Some of it is quite a long distance
     3        away from the source where it is purchased, but then that
     4        is true of all fast-food outlets anyway.
     5
     6   Q.   Is there a special concern in terms of environment/index.html">litter on the rise
     7        of drive-through take-aways?
     8        A.  I am not aware of that being a greater problem than
     9        comes from drive-through take -- than the ordinary
    10        take-aways.  What people dispose of out of their car
    11        windows is of much greater variety than that which comes
    12        just from take-aways.
    13
    14   Q.   So, in terms of collection of environment/index.html">litter, is it a fact that you
    15        feel that McDonald's really can only be responsible for a
    16        percentage of that which is dropped near their store?
    17        A.  I think that is the only manageable way of addressing
    18        it, so far as they are concerned, yes.
    19
    20   Q.   Have you any idea what that percentage might be?  Do you
         think they deal with 30 per cent of their environment/index.html">litter or 50 per
    22        cent of their environment/index.html">litter or some approximation?
    23        A.  I cannot really guesstimate or estimate whatever --
    24        what that would be.
    25
    26   Q.   I just want to collect my thoughts for a couple of minutes.
    27        I want to show you another document -- no, I will ask you,
    28        you might know about anyway.  In Germany there have been
    29        local authority initiatives to put a levy on fast-food
    30        disposable packaging.  Are you aware of that?
    31        A.  Yes.
    32
    33   Q.   Is the idea basically to discourage the use of disposables?
    34        A.  I am sure that is what was intended, yes.
    35
    36   Q.   Is there that provision in this country at all?
    37        A.  Not as yet.
    38
    39   Q.   Is it being considered?
    40        A.  Well, there are discussions in process between
         government and what was called the Producer Responsibility
    42        Group in which the packaging industry is addressing a
    43        voluntary system of creating levies, and that in due course
    44        expected to be underpinned by legislation but it is not yet
    45        in place.
    46
    47   Q.   Is it your experience that one there are voluntary --
    48        I cannot remember the word you used now -- systems of
    49        improving matter that it helps to concentrate the mind
    50        wonderfully if there is some legislation behind it? 
    51        A.  Yes, indeed, and in this instance my understanding is 
    52        that the packaging industry indicated to government itself 
    53        that if the voluntary system was to succeed it would need
    54        to be underpinned by legislation.
    55
    56   Q.   The Street Litter Control Notices or the ability of local
    57        authorities to bring those in, was that only after 1990?
    58        A.  Yes.
    59
    60   Q.   Did the local authorities have any power to compel