Port Angeles – The City of Port Angeles has been forced to announce that it is temporarily pausing its household glass recycling program beginning Friday, October 18.
The same is true of many other municipalities in the region because of the recent closure of the Ardagh Glass Plant in Seattle.
The City began its glass recycling pilot program in June 2023. As part of the program, the City accepted glass for recycling at both the Port Angeles Regional Transfer Station and Blue Mountain Transfer Station. After being collected, the recycled glass was transferred to Strategic Materials, Inc. in Seattle, who marketed the material to Ardagh Glass for bottle manufacturing. With the closure of the Ardagh plant, there is no longer a market for recycled glass material, and therefore, Strategic Materials can no longer accept recycled glass from the City.
Meanwhile, City staff are looking for alternative solutions for glass recycling.
A news release Monday says, until further notice, customers are advised to consider this change when purchasing glass container products, as re-use of such containers or disposal with household waste are the only available options at this time.
As for Sequim, Resource Analyst Meggan Ueker told KONP that Sequim’s glass recycle program has not changed. You can still drop your glass off at the same two locations; the City Shop on Hemlock Street, and Evergreen Collision on Washington. Sequim has a contract with Waste Connections, who takes the glass to a company in Lacy that grinds the glass and adds it to concrete.
For specific questions about glass recycling, contact the Port Angeles Public Works & Utilities Department at (360) 417-4800 or publicworks@cityofpa.us.