Together with other partners, LyondellBasell and Lego are investing around 130 million euros in the recycling company APK.

 

According to the information, the money will be used to expand the production capacities of APK, which is based in Merseburg, Germany, and to build additional recycling facilities there. Currently, the company, founded in 2008, uses mechanical processes to produce LDPE plastic granules and the "newcycling" process, a five-stage solvent-based process, to produce "Mersalen LDPE NCY" and "Mersamid PA" from packaging waste as an alternative to virgin plastics. In the process, flakes are reportedly obtained from plastic bales, which undergo a cleaning and density separation process and are then placed in a bath to selectively dissolve out the plastics. The solvent used is removed and purified so that it can be used again in the next process run, it adds. APK products manufactured using the "newcycling" technology will henceforth complement LyondellBasell's Circulen product portfolio. The Lego owner, the Danish holding company Kirkbi, says it supports environmental protection projects and sustainable business with financial resources declared as "theme capital." According to Damir Hamzic, head of Circular Plastics Investment at Kirkbi, the holding company "believes that APK offers a promising, scalable technology for LDPE recycling that can help increase the recyclability of plastics and minimize plastic waste to contribute to a more sustainable environment in the future."

 

Sources:

• chemietechnik.de (Feb. 28, 2023)
• Photo: © APK