APK

Founded in 2008 by Bjoern Lindner and Ingo Lindner, APK AG operates in the plastic recycling industry, focusing on transforming complex plastic waste into high-quality, pure recyclates. The company developed a proprietary, solvent-based physical recycling process called Newcycling®, which is designed to handle challenging waste streams like multi-layer flexible packaging. This technology combines mechanical pre-treatment with a solvent-based purification process, allowing it to separate different polymers from mixed waste and produce materials with properties near to those of virgin plastics.

APK's business model centers on producing and selling these high-purity plastic granulates, marketed under the brand names Mersalen and Mersamid, to various industries, particularly the packaging sector. The company's primary production facility is located in Merseburg, Germany, which has a recycling capacity of up to 20,000 tonnes per year. A key milestone was achieved in 2021 when APK proved its Newcycling® technology could successfully recycle post-consumer household plastic waste at an industrial scale, obtaining light-colored LDPE-recyclate that can be processed into film. In 2022, the company expanded its capabilities by acquiring a technical center in Frankfurt am Main to further optimize its processes for larger-scale production.

The company's growth strategy has been supported by significant financial backing. In February 2023, APK secured approximately €130 million in a funding round with strategic investments from the chemical company LyondellBasell and KIRKBI A/S, the investment company of the LEGO brand, among others. This capital was earmarked for the construction of new, large-scale Newcycling® plants. However, after entering insolvency in May 2024, LyondellBasell, which was already a minority shareholder, entered into an agreement to acquire full ownership of APK AG in August 2024, securing the company's future. This acquisition integrates APK’s technology into LyondellBasell's Circular and Low Carbon Solutions business, with plans to use the recycled materials in its Circulen product portfolio for applications such as personal care packaging.

Keywords: plastic recycling, solvent-based recycling, Newcycling, circular economy, LDPE recyclates, flexible packaging, polymer separation, post-consumer waste, sustainable materials, Mersalen