Circular Polymers by Ascend

Circular Polymers by Ascend (previously known as “Circular Polymers LLC”) produces Nylon 66, Nylon 6, PET(Polyester), and polypropylene and calcium carbonate derived from post-consumer carpets. The products are offered in both fiber and pallet forms using the Herbold densification pellet system. The company uses Broadview Group’s rotary impact separator technology to separate shredded post-consumer carpet into the face fiber, backing, and calcium carbonate and has exclusive North American rights to this technology. 

In November 2022, Ascend Performance Materials purchased a majority stake in the company, which was then renamed “Circular Polymers by Ascend” as part of the deal.

These polymer raw materials are used for automotive parts, furniture, wood composites, engineered resins, and injection molding, and also manufactured into beverage bottles, packaging, and textiles via chemical recycling.

As of November 2022, the company operated out of an expanded facility in Lincoln, California that can process 45 million pounds of carpet per year and had plans to expand further. The company has adopted a sustainable strategy based on three pillars: empowering people, innovating solutions, and operating without compromise and is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030.

Funding and financials

In February 2018, the company received a loan of USD 2 million funded by California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to expand the capacity at the facility in Lincoln.