Ardagh Glass to close furnace at Knottingley, risking 80 jobs

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 17:31 · Archive

Ardagh Glass will close a furnace at its Knottingley factory, putting 80 jobs at risk.

Ardagh Glass has announced it will close a furnace at its Knottingley factory in Yorkshire, putting 80 jobs at risk. The company is also closing a furnace at its facility in Holmegaard, Denmark, which will affect 100 employees. The closures follow a review of capacity across Ardagh's facilities due to challenging market conditions. The company said the decision would not affect its ability to supply customers, and it is discussing the proposals with management and employee representatives.

The GMB Union said the closure was largely caused by the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) tax, which shifts packaging waste management costs onto manufacturers. Union organiser Matt Henderson-Thynne said the tax was 'killing the British bottling industry' and called on government ministers to reconsider the policy, warning that job security across the country was at stake.

The government's Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs said fees for easily recyclable materials would be lower this year under the EPR tax. Glass falls under this category, with the department stating that around 90 per cent of glass packaging would benefit from the reduction.

How it is being reported

• Councillor urges Government to act over 80 jobs at Knottingley glass factory‘The glass industry is a crucial part of the Yorkshire’Yorkshire Evening Post · 9 Oct, 16:30
• Yorkshire glass factory furnace to close putting 80 jobs at riskA furnace is set to close at the Ardagh Glass Factory in KnottingleyHuddersfield Examiner · 7 Oct, 19:31

In this story: Ardagh Glass · Knottingley · GMB Union · Holmegaard · Denmark · Matt Henderson-Thynne

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