Sorted McGarbage burned

SODER OM SODER

Tuesday 20 Feb 1996; Daniel VŒrj¿

- What difference does it make if it all are burned together at the same place, says Johan Liljefors, customer at Globen McDonalds. Last autumn McDonalds in Stockholm started to sort their garbage.

The customer sorts it in three different garbage cans;

Food and package
Ice and liquid
Plastic material

The plastic material are supposed to become fuel. That was the thought and that is what McDonalds want their customers to believe.

But this is the way it is:

When the garbage arrives to the company taking care of it, Skafab, the plastic, paper and the food left overs are burned together.
A very small sign at McDonalds says this, but not all restaurants have it.
The customers sort their garbage for no use at all.

- We don't want to trick anyone. We want to recycle as much as possible and we are sorry about that this do not work all the way. We did not believe that we should meet such resistance from as an example, Skafab, says Bertil Rosqvist, McDonalds environmental manager in Sweden.

Do you understand that the customers are displeased?

- Yes, but I hope they understand. It takes time to make this work. By the 1st of January 1997 we must be able to show the National Environmental board that McDonalds can recycle at least 30% of the paper and plastic waste.
We are not comfortable with the fact that recyclable material is being burned.

Some customers are eating the fast-food at Globen McDonalds.

- It is false and double standard of morality. Why should I sort my garbage when they burn it together anyway, says Nikias Wikstrom.

Annika Gustavsson says:

- McDonalds only do this to attract customers and to look good.
"No body wants the food waste"

At Skafab they confirm that the customers at McDonalds sort their garbage at no use and that all sorted material are being burned together.

Nils Lundqvist at Skafab says:

- The problem is to find a use of the sorted material. Today nobody wants the food waste.

Buyers want to be sure that there is no metallic or cigarettes in the waste.

It is not easy for restaurants to give such an guarantee. Another problem is that the garbage is from a large town. And it can't be used as soil in parks because it has to much nitrogen in it.

But surely it must be a waste to burn it?

- There is no dangerous discharge from it and it becomes energy we can use.

Reporter: DANIEL VARJO Huddingev. 109, Box 17 S-121 21 Johanneshov
SWEDEN