LyondellBasell has finalized the acquisition of German company APK, which specializes in recycling flexible packaging waste made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE).
The deal includes APK's proprietary Newcycling process, which recycles multilayer flexible packaging through selective solvent dissolution.
LyondellBasell, which already held a minority stake in APK, continued investing in the company during its insolvency process last year.

With this acquisition, LyondellBasell plans to further develop the Newcycling technology and build industrial-scale plants, aiming to secure high-purity recycled material for creating Circulen-branded grades for new packaging applications.

The completion of the APK acquisition by LyondellBasell follows the groundbreaking of its first industrial-scale MoReTec plant for catalytic chemical recycling in Wesseling, Germany, on Sept. 19.

The Newcycling  technology is a unique solvent-based process for recycling low-density polyethylene (LDPE), LyondellBasell said. “This technology complements our excellent mechanical recycling technology, as well as our proprietary advanced recycling technology. We see this as a crucial addition to our portfolio on our journey to a circular economy, helping end plastic waste,” said Yvonne van der Laan, executive vice president of circular and low carbon solutions at LyondellBasell.

 

Founded in 2008, APK produces recycled plastics with properties similar to virgin materials using the proprietary Newcycling process. Its demonstration plant in Merseburg, Saxony-Anhalt (Germany), has a recycling capacity of 20,000 tons per year.

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