Sir Keir Starmer undertook a major cabinet shuffle this weekend (6th – 7th September 2025), prompted by the resignation of Angela Rayner as Deputy Leader, with more than ten departments welcoming in new Secretaries of State or junior ministers.

However, Rachel Reeves remains in post as Chancellor and several other key departments remained unchanged, including Energy, Health, Transport, Education and Culture.

The reshuffle resulted in the appointment of Emma Reynolds as Environment Secretary, taking the place of Steve Reed who moves to the role of Housing Secretary. Parliamentary Under Secretary, Mary Creagh, remains in place at Defra, bringing much welcomed continuity to the resources and waste management portfolio.

Responding to the reshuffle, Executive Director of the ESA, Jacob Hayler, said: “Emma Reynolds joins Defra at a critical time as it begins to implement long-overdue policy reforms that will unlock billions of pounds worth of investment in the UK’s circular economy – creating thousands of green jobs; delivering essential infrastructure; helping the UK become a less wasteful society, and making life easier for householders across England. 

We welcome the new Secretary of State to the role and look forward to working with Emma and her team to successfully deliver the collection and packaging reforms; tackle the scourge of waste crime and develop a clear strategy for tapping into the economic growth potential of a more circular economy. Working together, and with the correct policy in place, we believe we can achieve and exceed the Government’s resource-productivity and waste reduction targets a full decade early, in accordance with the ESA’s Vision for a Circular Economy by 2040.  

Retaining the expertise and experience of Mary Creagh within Defra’s ministerial team also brings much welcomed continuity to the department’s leadership, which is important for helping Defra and other stakeholders, including the ESA, urgently address the market challenges facing the recycling and waste treatment sector, which currently threaten further investment in domestic recycling and reprocessing capacity, particularly for plastics.”