RGDATA, the Retail Grocers’ Trade Association that represents 3,500 family owned shops, convenience stores and supermarkets throughout the country, has called for a Town Centre First policy and a total ban on single use plastic cups in its Election 2020 Manifesto.
“RGDATA has been engaged in a Collaborative Town Centre Health Checks pilot with the Heritage Council and many other partners since 2016 and we can see clearly that Ireland’s Towns and Villages need a dramatic intervention if they are to be regenerated and revitalised. A Town Centre First policy makes absolute sense when we are addressing issues like the housing crisis; depopulation of rural Ireland, climate change, health services, education, public transport and the delivery of public services. Scotland has introduced a Town Centre First Policy and it is having a very positive impact on town regeneration, community development and quality of life,” says Tara Buckley Director General of the Retail Grocers Trade Association RGDATA.
“A Latte Levy is just tinkering around the edges and will not make the dramatic change that a total ban on single use plastic cups and plastic shopping bags will deliver. RGDATA members are community based local shopkeepers and they are very frustrated that the compostable cups they have provided for their customers are being put into general waste and going into landfill instead of being composted. We are urging the political parties to commit to a total ban on single use plastic cups and plastic shopping bags by 2021,” said Tara Buckley Director General of the Retail Grocery Trade association RGDATA.
Read the RGDATA Election 2020 Manifesto here.
“RGDATA has written to all the political parties asking them to commit to these changes and to including them in a programme for Government if they are successful in the forthcoming election,” says Buckley.
Contact RGDATA at rgdata@rgdata.ie or 01-2887584.
