GLASS RECYCLING PROGRAM TEMPORARILY DISCONTINUED
Written by: Ed Evans
10/17/2024
The household glass recycling program at the Blue Mountain and Port Angeles Regional Transfer stations will be discontinued starting Friday, October 18 – at least for now. The City of Port Angeles has announced the program has been put on pause as city staff seek alternative solutions for glass recycling. The recycle program is being shut down following the recent closure of the Ardagh Glass Plant in Seattle. As a result, municipalities across the region are scrambling to adjust. Ardagh Glass recently closed two of its glass production facilities – one in Houston the other in Seattle. The Houston plant was oriented to glass from the beer market. The focus for the Seattle plant was on wine bottle customers. A total of 244 employees are set to be impacted by temporary layoffs in Seattle. If market conditions change, Ardagh says it will consider restarting production in Seattle.
A Port Angeles City news release is advising residents to consider the closure when purchasing glass container products. Until a solution is found, the only available options now are either re-using glass containers, or simply include them for disposal with household waste.
The glass recycling pilot program was restarted here in June 2023. The glass was transferred to Strategic Materials in Seattle who then marketed the material to the Ardagh plant. With the closure of Ardagh there is no longer a market for recycled glass material. As a result, Strategic Materials can no longer accept recycled glass from the City.
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