Adding Agiplast with annual sales of around €15 million and 32 people to its group of companies, Arkema said it will be able to offer a full service platform to customers in terms of materials circularity, thereby addressing growing market expectations in this field.

The companies have previously cooperated on recycling PVDF and high-performance polyamides. In October 2019, they launched the Virtucycle program, which is aimed at developing loops for the collection and regeneration of high performance polymers while minimizing CO₂ emissions. Arkema said Agiplast’s “strong know-how” in mechanical recycling technologies will enable its new parent company to offer high quality recycled polymers to its customers.

With the acquisition, the Colombes-headquartered company said it will become the first fully integrated high performance polymer manufacturer offering both bio-based and recycled materials geared to the challenges of resource scarcity and end-of-life products. This bolt-on acquisition is thus in line with its CSR and sustainable growth strategy, and in particular the transition to a circular economy, Arkema said.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist