November 22, 2024

Seattle glass plant closure is now permanent

SEATTLE — Packaging company Ardagh Group is permanently closing its glass manufacturing facility on East Marginal Way.

The notice was listed Nov. 7 on the state's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification website; 245 jobs were cut.

The facility, located at 5801 E. Marginal Way S., made beer and wine bottles out of recycled content. Ardagh announced back in June that it was temporarily shuttering the plant, and laying off 244 workers. The company cited ongoing pressure from low-priced imports as a primary reason for closure. At that time, the company said it would consider restarting production if market conditions improved.

After that announcement, Skagit County's Solid Waste Division said it would no longer accept glass at any of its transfer stations, because there was no longer any place in the area to take the material.

Skagit County isn't alone in feeling the effects of the closure of what was once a major glass bottle manufacturer in the Seattle area. In a blog post Wednesday, Seattle Public Utilities said that the permanent closure “has created unprecedented challenges for glass recycling in Seattle and neighboring jurisdictions.”

SPU has expressed its continuing commitment to recycling glass, and says that, despite current challenges, there's still a strong demand for recycled glass.

Seattle businesses and residents should continue to put glass bottles and containers in their recycling carts, making sure it is clean and dry to prevent contamination and increase the quality and value of the product.

The utility is working with recycling partners, service providers and stakeholders to find new markets for glass and other alternative solutions. A regional glass recycling roundtable, sponsored by Seattle and King County, is meeting to work with industrial partners and neighboring municipalities to find solutions.

And SPU continues to collaborate with Strategic Materials Inc., a local glass processor, to develop new customers and diversify end markets. SMI is stockpiling clean glass, and renting temporary storage space from SPU.