A California PET recycling plant is closing a portion of its operations but will remain open. It’s a move that will impact 57 workers.
Evergreen Recycling Inc. characterized the decision at its Riverside, Calif., plant as a “strategic decision to discontinue operations in the front-end sort and wash department.”
“This was not a decision we made lightly,” Evergreen CEO Gary Alstott said in a statement. “After careful evaluation, we determined that shifting our operational focus will allow us to enhance efficiency, continue delivering high-quality recycled plastics to our valued customers, and maintain our leadership in sustainable solutions.”
Evergreen, in a notice to the California Employment Development Department to comply with the federal Work Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act and state requirements, indicated layoffs could start in late March.
“To the company's knowledge, the mass layoff is expected to be permanent absent a change in economic condition. All company employees who will be affected by the closure have been notified as of Jan. 22, 2025, of the anticipated mass layoff,” the WARN letter reads.
Evergreen employees could start losing their jobs on or around March 24 through April 25, the company said. A total of 57 workers are listed in the WARN letter, including 14 sort line operators, 10 recycle operators, eight maintenance technicians, four wash line operators, four was control technicians, four foreman and four recycled group leaders. Others include three janitors, two maintenance technicians and single jobs described as maintenance manager, maintenance inventory control worker, maintenance planner and environmental health and safety coordinator.
“Our team members are the heart of our success, and we are fully committed to supporting them,” Chief Operating Officer Greg Johnson said in a statement. “We are exploring all possible avenues to assist those affected, including placement opportunities, retraining programs, and other forms of support.”
In announcing the decision to close the sort and wash department, Evergreen said, “Despite this operational shift, Evergreen continues to prioritize sustainability and innovation in plastic recycling. The company will maintain its focus on producing high-quality recycled resin while identifying new ways to advance environmental responsibility and circular economy initiatives.”
Separately, a company representative said in an email: “The facility is NOT closing. The decision was to shut down the sort and wash department while the rest of the facility will continue to retain full operations functions.”
“To the company’s knowledge, the mass layoff is expected to be permanent absent a change in economic conditions,” the email states.
Along with the Riverside location in Southern California, Evergreen also has recycled PET plants Ohio, New York and Nova Scotia.
The Riverside plant was previously operated by CarbonLite Holdings LLC , which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection before selling the plant to Houston-based private equity firm Sterling Group LP in 2021.
Sterling separately purchased recycled PET plants in Albany, N.Y., Clyde, Ohio, and Amherst, Nova Scotia, to create a network of locations under the Evergreen Recycling name.
“We're also among the largest, if not the largest, producer of food-grade rPET, with an annual capacity of 231 million pounds,” Evergreen states on the company's website. “Each year, we process more than 2 billion post-consumer PET bottles.”