Denton MP Andrew Gwynne has met with Minister Rebecca Pow at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to discuss microplastic pollution in the River Tame.  

Minister Pow, who serves as a Minister with specific responsibilities for Nature Recovery and the Domestic Environment, met with Gwynne after research conducted by the University of Manchester and Professor Jamie Woodward revealed that the River Tame had the most plastic-polluted riverbed in the United Kingdom. 

Microplastics are defined as any piece of plastic less than five millimetres long. Wet wipes contain plastic microfibres, as do larger plastic bags that then fragment over time. 

In the virtual meeting on Wednesday (9 March), Gwynne urged the government to take action to clean up the waterway, as well as do more to stop the untreated discharge of raw sewage into waterways.  

The MP said: "I am grateful to the Minister for taking the time to meet with me to discuss this incredibly serious situation. Microplastics and contaminated water harm our waterways, damage our precious river habitats, and we need to see the Government taking much more robust action.  

"I hope that I conveyed the severity of the situation and will continue to work with the Government and the Environment Agency to push for action to clean up our River Tame. 

"I also took the opportunity to speak to the Minister about the incredible work of the Friends of the Tame Valley, and how we’ve helped to look after our part of the river." 

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