Supporting manufacturing and recycling in Seattle

Seattle and King County send 100 percent of their curbside glass recycling to the Ardagh site. The leased land in industrial South Seattle allows the plant to keep costs stable for the manufacturing portion of the operation, which takes place on the adjacent 13 acres owned by Ardagh.

The leased land contains 85 percent of Ardagh's on-site storage of its finished product. The land also is home to two of the company's critical suppliers of bottle-making materials: JA Jack & Sons supplies limestone and Strategic Materials Inc. provides crushed recycled glass, called cullet.

The proximity of these storage and transportation routes, including the Duwamish River, keeps costs stable against fluctuating global supply chain issues and growing Chinese glass container imports.

Further, the updated lease creates an unprecedented agreement to rebuild a glass furnace on Ardagh-owned property and improve the facility’s environmental operations.

In addition to being a dependable, longtime tenant, Ardagh is an economic engine for Seattle, King County and Washington state. Most of the plant’s 345 jobs are union-represented, and 75 percent of the employees live in King County, putting that quality income right back into the local economy.

Ardagh supports an incredibly diverse workforce, 69 percent of whom are people of color.

The plant’s quality manufacturing jobs contribute to a rich, diverse regional economy and infuse the local economy with $1.6 million in state and local taxes on an annual basis.

Perhaps its biggest contribution is the product itself: Ardagh’s Seattle plant produces up to 1 million glass bottles and jars a day, which are used by winemakers across the Pacific Northwest.

Ardagh employees, customers and the region benefit from this unique glass recycling ecosystem.