Sir, - I recently visited a McDonalds restaurant for a simple breakfast of three small pancakes, a cup of coffee and an orange juice. The meal lasted perhaps five minutes and at the end of it this is what was left: one styrofoam coffee cup; one plastic coffee cup lid; one plastic-coated drink cup; one plastic drink cup lid; one plastic straw; one plastic knife; one plastic fork; one plastic cutlery wrapper; one plastic stirring stick; one styrofoam tray; three plastic milk containers; two paper sugar sachets; one paper tray cover; one paper napkin; one plastic syrup container. And I presume there was much more waste associated with the production, preparation and transportation of the food.
I wonder in which of the country's overflowing landfill sites it all ended up. - Yours, etc.,
Graham Caswell, Arklow, Co Wicklow.