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Recycling of Tyres
29 April 2025
Lead MP
Tessa Munt
Wells and Mendip Hills
LD
Responding Minister
Mary Creagh
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Word Count: 4313
Other Contributors: 5
At a Glance
Tessa Munt raised concerns about recycling of tyres in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Will the review be limited to an assessment of the enforcement of the existing legal provisions contained in the Basel convention and the waste shipments regulations? Will it consider policy improvements?
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The UK disposes of approximately 600,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres each year, with about 350,000 tonnes shipped to India. This raises serious environmental and public health concerns as India does not have the same stringent environmental emissions regulations that we have in the UK.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
He commends the hon. Lady for bringing forward this debate and supports the view that local businesses should be encouraged to send their tyres to recognised recycling groups in the UK, where there are guarantees of complete recycling.
Leigh Ingham
Lab
Stafford
Acknowledged the Government's focus on the circular economy and waste crime issues in the context of local constituency concerns.
Mary Creagh
Lab
Wakefield
Clarified that the Department does not carry out prosecutions and that this responsibility lies with the Environment Agency as the regulator. Emphasised the correct separation of power in legal and regulatory duties.
Sarah Dyke
LD
Glastonbury and Somerton
A company called Tyre Renewals Ltd operates in Castle Cary in her constituency, which prevents tyres from going into landfill and leaking harmful chemicals. She agrees that urgent Government investment is needed to tackle environmental hazards. Inquired about steps being taken by the Minister to address manufacturer responsibility for microplastics in the Somerset levels and moors.
Tessa Munt
LD
Wells
Asked the Minister to do more to demonstrate how it is prosecuting people who break the law, emphasising the importance of enforcement.
Government Response
Mary Creagh
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Government Response
The Minister welcomed the debate on waste crime and expressed a commitment to tackling it through cross-party collaboration. She noted that the Government plans to clean up Britain, crack down on waste cowboys, and close waste loopholes.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.