MBA Polymers
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Recycling |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founder | Laurence "Trip" Allen III, Michael Biddle |
| Headquarters | Multiple (including Hong Kong, United States, Germany, India) , Various |
Area served | Global |
| Products | Recycled plastics from WEEE and auto-shredder residue |
| Owner | Elephant Equity (since 2017) |
Number of employees | 180+ (approximate from joint venture data) |
| Parent | Elephant Equity |
| Website | mbapolymers |
MBA Polymers operates globally as a recycling firm dedicated to reclaiming plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and auto-shredder residue derived from end-of-life vehicles (ELV).
Company history
Established in California in 1994 by entrepreneurs Laurence "Trip" Allen III and Michael Biddle, MBA Polymers originated from their tenure at Dow Chemical, where Allen pioneered novel plastic recycling techniques. Initially concentrating on packaging plastics, the company shifted focus towards recovering durable goods, addressing complex waste streams such as WEEE and auto-shredder residue.
The company has attracted investments from various partners to develop proprietary technologies that enable efficient extraction and recycling of plastics, fueling its expansion and securing a competitive edge within the recycling sector. In 2017, Munich-based private equity firm Elephant Equity, specializing in cleantech ventures, acquired full ownership of MBA Polymers, strengthening its international presence and strategic direction.
Development of the recycling process
A cornerstone of MBA Polymers’ innovation lies in its ability to separate mixed plastic waste into pure, reusable fractions. Previous techniques depended heavily on manual sorting of plastic components, which proved costly and inefficient. After shredding durable items such as refrigerators, metals were extracted using magnetic separators, resulting in a blend of various polymers. In 1994, with support from the American Plastics Council and expertise from Dr. Michael Fisher, MBA Polymers introduced an advanced density-based sorting method employing hydrocyclones.
One significant hurdle during the mid-1990s was differentiating High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) from Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), two plastics with similar densities but incompatible characteristics. Laurence Allen discovered that heating a mixture of HIPS and ABS caused ABS to absorb water and expand, decreasing its density enough to allow sink/float separation in water. This discovery led to a patented approach and secured a $687,000 grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology for further development. This technique remains unique as the only dependable way to separate different grades within the same plastic category.
MBA Polymers evolved this into a sophisticated multi-stage separation system that is robust and reliable, attracting equity funding to support expansion into European and Asian markets. Their plants process shredded WEEE and ELV materials, often pre-treated by other recyclers.
Through patented technologies, MBA Polymers transforms mixed plastic waste into premium recycled materials. Manufacturing one metric ton of their recycled plastics saves approximately 4.8 metric tons of CO2 emissions compared to producing virgin plastics. The company collaborates internationally with manufacturers such as AEG, Ford, HP, and Canon to substitute virgin plastics with sustainable recycled alternatives in new product lines.
Global operations
Since inaugurating its pilot recycling plant in 1994, MBA Polymers has broadened its operations with facilities located in the UK, China, Austria, Germany, and the United States, establishing a substantial global footprint. Collectively, these sites handle over 150,000 metric tons of waste annually, converting it into high-grade recycled plastics.
In 2004, MBA Polymers entered a joint venture with Guangzhou Iron and Steel Enterprises Holdings Ltd to establish environmentally responsible recycling operations in China; this involved a $15 million investment and employment exceeding 160 personnel. Further growth occurred in 2006 through a partnership with Austria’s Müller-Guttenbrunn Group (MGG), operating a plant capable of processing more than 50,000 metric tons per year.
The UK facility commenced operations in 2010 via a joint venture with EMR—one of the world’s leading metal recyclers—processing post-consumer plastics sourced from automotive shredder residue, household appliances, and electronics with an annual capacity surpassing 40,000 metric tons. A newer plant situated near Meissen in Mauna, Germany addresses increasing WEEE volumes alongside global demand for recycled plastics; it processes approximately 20,000 metric tons yearly and employs around 20 staff members.
MBA Polymers supports its worldwide operations through administrative offices located in Hong Kong, the United States, Germany, and India.
The company owns over 40 patents internationally—including jurisdictions such as Australia, Canada, China, Europe, and the United States—all held by MBA Polymers Inc. Its proprietary technology encompasses more than 20 intricate separation processes designed for efficient polymer recovery and purification by both type and grade. The most recent patent (EP14707916.4), awarded by the European Patent Office in January 2019, protects advanced methods for reclaiming plastics from durable goods including ASR (auto shredder residue), ESR (electronic shredder residue), and WSR (white shredder residue).
Awards
- 2017: Recognized with the Young Global Leaders Award for Circular Economy SME by the World Economic Forum (WEF)
- 2014: Recipient of the Katerva Award
- 2012: Honored with the Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development
- 2010: Winner of the Economist Innovation Award
- 2007: Awarded the World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer distinction
- 2006: Earned the Tech Museum Tech Laureate Award in the Environment category
- 2002: Presented with the first-ever Thomas Alva Edison Award for Innovation