Libbey
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Ohio glassware maker selling drinking glasses and barware.
There's no proof Libbey pays more than the legal minimum, which in China and Mexico is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its products are made in countries such as China and India, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made partly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Libbey's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories. Its list covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Mexico | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Owns or runs its own production
Research notes Libbey says it makes its glassware in its own facilities in the United States, Mexico and China, with staff mainly at three sites; no split by country is published, so no shares are shown. It closed its Shreveport plant in 2020 and sold its Dutch and Portuguese plants in 2022. Its supply chain statement says suppliers sign a code banning forced labour and are audited by a third party in Asia, but it publishes no supplier list, audit results or wage information.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion and Electronics reports do not assess glassware makers such as Libbey. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | No Business & Human Rights Resource Centre reports on labour abuses at Libbey plants or suppliers were found. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Libbey closes Shreveport glass manufacturing site (Glass International, 2021) · search the archive · Shreveport plant with 450 staff closed 31 December 2020
- Libbey sells European operations (HFN, 2022) · search the archive · Leerdam (Netherlands) and Marinha Grande (Portugal) plants sold to Anders Invest in 2022
- Libbey completes financial restructuring after bankruptcy (Glass International) · search the archive · Emerged from Chapter 11 in 2020 as a private company controlled by its former lenders
- Libbey Gibraltar Hi Ball Glasses (Nisbets Australia) · search the archive · Libbey glassware sold by Nisbets with click and collect at its Australian stores
Published by Libbey or its owner
- Libbey supply chain transparency · search the archive · Facilities in US, Mexico, China (no split); Libbey Glass LLC owned by LG Parent Holdco Inc.; supplier code; third-party audits in Asia
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Libbey ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/libbey, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded cookware and tableware
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Libbey.