GCR

What GCR does

GCR (legal name GESTORA CATALANA DE RESIDUOS, S.L.U., operating as GCR Plastic Solutions) is a privately held Spanish sustainable plastics manufacturer founded in 2001 and headquartered in La Bisbal del Penedès, Catalonia. The company develops and produces high-performance recycled polyolefins and mineral masterbatches sold under the CICLIC, CICLICNXT, GRANIC, BIOGRANIC, and RGRANIC brands to brand owners and plastic processors across packaging, automotive, construction, and agriculture.

GCR's technology stack centers on proprietary mechanical recycling processes — including patented low-energy recycling, hot washing, advanced sorting, and extrusion — combined with material science capabilities in compatibilizer chemistry, odour control, and customized masterbatch formulations. The company operates two production facilities in Catalonia totaling 500,000+ mT/year of capacity (425,000 mT/y of compounds and 100,000 mT/y of certified post-consumer recycled materials), and has committed €100 million to expand advanced recycling facilities across Europe in anticipation of EU PPWR mandates. Certifications include ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 14067, ISCC PLUS, RecyClass, and OCS.

The business model is B2B enterprise sales: GCR sells materials on a quote-based, volume-tiered pricing model through direct account managers and technical sales specialists, supplemented by regional distribution partnerships (e.g., ESVAMA in the Nordics) and an Innovation Hub that co-develops customized applications with customers. Revenue is generated primarily from one-time material sales across the CICLIC, CICLICNXT, and GRANIC product lines, with ancillary revenue from application development services. Key named customers and partners include ExxonMobil, Crocco, SCEA, CurTec, Selene, and RIGK GmbH. The ultimate parent is GNO CORPORATE, S.L., with GCR structured as part of a group of ten wholly-owned operating subsidiaries spanning recycling, compounding, polymers, logistics, and research.

Name

GCR

Legal name

GESTORA CATALANA DE RESIDUOS, S.L.U.

Website

https://gcrplasticsolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

GCR is a Spanish sustainable plastics manufacturer producing recycled polyolefins (CICLIC, CICLICNXT) and mineral masterbatches (GRANIC, BIOGRANIC, RGRANIC) for brand owners and plastic processors across packaging, automotive, construction, and agriculture.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recycled Plastics and Sustainable Polymer Compounds

NAICS

Resin and Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing (32521)

SIC

Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821)

akta.pro primary industry

Reprocessed Resin & Recycled Polymer Compounding (PCR/PIR Compounds) (IMANAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recycled & Reprocessed Polymer Resin Manufacturing (rPET, rPP, rPE; PCR/PIR resins) (IMANAAAH), Bio-Based & Biodegradable Compounds (PLA/PHA/Starch Blends) (IMANABAF)

Keywords

• Recycled polyolefins
• Mineral masterbatch
• Mechanical plastic recycling
• PCR plastic materials
• Sustainable plastic compounds

Headquarters

HQ city

La Bisbal

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Recycled Polyolefins Sales: GCR generates revenue primarily through the sale of recycled plastic materials including CICLIC recycled polyolefins (rPP, rLDPE, rLLDPE, rHDPE) and CICLICNXT PCR polyolefins. These materials serve brand owners and plastic processors across multiple industries including packaging, automotive, construction, and agriculture.
2. Mineral Masterbatch Sales: Revenue from GRANIC, BIOGRANIC, and RGRANIC mineral masterbatch product lines. These specialty compounds combine mineral concentrates with carrier resins to enhance plastic product performance while reducing material costs and carbon footprint.
3. Innovation & Application Development Services: GCR provides co-creation and application development services through its Innovation Hub, helping partners develop customized sustainable plastic solutions with technical support from concept through mass production.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

GCR develops and produces high-performance sustainable plastic materials, including recycled polyolefins (CICLIC® and CICLICNXT® lines of rPP, rLDPE, rLLDPE, rHDPE) sourced from pre-consumer and post-consumer waste, and mineral masterbatch products (GRANIC®, BIOGRANIC®, RGRANIC®) combining ultrafine minerals with carrier resins. These materials serve brand owners and plastic processors in packaging, automotive, construction, and agriculture applications.

Product overview

GCR develops and produces sustainable plastic solutions including recycled polyolefins and mineral masterbatches. The product portfolio consists of CICLIC® (high-quality recycled and recyclable polyolefins including rPP, rLDPE, rLLDPE, rHDPE), CICLICNXT® (certified PCR polyolefins at industrial scale), and GRANIC® product family (advanced mineral masterbatches including GRANIC®, BIOGRANIC® for compostable applications, and RGRANIC® for recycled-based formulations). These solutions enable up to 90% CO2 savings compared to virgin polymers and up to 70% polymer replacement in final plastic content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CICLIC®: High-quality line of recycled and recyclable polyolefins sourced from pre-consumer and post-consumer (PCR) waste, including rPP, rLDPE, rLLDPE, and rHDPE.
• CICLICNXT®
• GRANIC®
• BIOGRANIC®
• RGRANIC®

Products and services

• CICLIC® Recycled Polyolefins High-quality line of recycled and recyclable polyolefins (rPP, rLDPE, rLLDPE, rHDPE) sourced from pre-consumer and post-consumer (PCR) waste, enabling up to 90% CO2 savings versus virgin polymers for brand owners and plastic processors across packaging, automotive, construction, and agriculture.
• CICLICNXT® PCR Polyolefins at Scale Next-level certified post-consumer recycled (PCR) polyolefins (rPP, rPE) engineered to deliver virgin-like performance at industrial scale for brand owners and top-tier converters, with 100,000 mT/year capacity and certifications under ISO 14067, ISCC PLUS, and RecyClass for demanding non-food contact applications.
• GRANIC® Advanced Mineral Masterbatch High-performance sustainable mineral masterbatch combining ultrafine minerals (calcium carbonate, talc, silica) with high-quality carrier resins (PE, PP, PS, recycled plastic resins), enabling up to 70% polymer replacement in final plastic content, up to 50% CO2 emissions reduction, improved mechanical properties, and food contact approval.
• BIOGRANIC® Bio Mineral Masterbatch Bio-based and/or biodegradable mineral masterbatch designed to optimize film performance in compostable applications, providing the most environmentally friendly mineral masterbatch solution within the GRANIC family.
• RGRANIC® Recycled-Based Masterbatch Recycled-based masterbatch combining mineral concentrates with high-quality recycled carrier resins (rPP and rPE) sourced from CICLIC® recycled polyolefin grades, delivering performance consistency expected from virgin polymer carriers while maximizing recycled content.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 90% CO2 reduction compared to virgin polymers using CICLIC recycled polyolefins
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ESVAMAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 May 2026Distribution partnership to bring CICLIC recycled polyolefins and GRANIC mineral masterbatch to plastic processors across the Nordic market, including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland.
• PROSPERminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026GCR supports PROSPER's latest milestone in bioplastic sorting and recycling, contributing mechanical recycling and material validation expertise to help develop circular routes for bio-based plastics.
• ExxonMobilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Collaboration on high-performance mono PE liquid pouch achieving 50% PCR content with recyclability-by-design, demonstrating virgin-quality performance in flexible packaging applications.
• RIGK GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026GCR and RIGK GmbH completed an advanced industrial recycling trial in late February at GCR's facility in Europe, testing post-consumer packaging from Germany's PAMIRA system and GVÖ scheme. The trials successfully removed volatile substances and achieved purity levels previously considered unattainable. Several leading European industrial packaging converters have committed to integrating these validated recycled materials into their production.
• CroccocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing high-performance liquid packaging solutions with 50% PCR content, excellent sealability, and packaging integrity.
• CurTeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerValidated CICLICNXT rHDPE for rigid packaging achieving up to 70% PCR content in blow molding and 50% in injection molding applications.
• SelenecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration achieving 60% PCR content in FFS tubes with 25% output increase through stable, high-output processing.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BASF: Diversified chemical manufacturer with significant recycled polymer and circular materials offerings across packaging and automotive — broader portfolio than GCR but overlapping end markets and sustainability messaging.
• Veolia: Global waste-management and recycling services group producing PCR plastics from collected feedstock across Europe; partially integrated competitor sourcing/supplying recycled polyolefins to the same brand-owner base.
• Eastman Chemical: Chemical recycling operator (molecular recycling, methanolysis) that competes for recycled-polymer demand in packaging, broadening the recycling-options competitive set GCR faces from mechanically recycled polyolefins.
• ExxonMobil: Global polyolefins producer operating PCR polyolefin programs and currently a GCR collaboration partner on mono PE pouches; broader incumbent in virgin and recycled polyolefins that competes at scale for the same customers.
• TotalEnergies: Integrated energy and petrochemicals group with growing recycled polymers portfolio (e.g., certified circular PP/PE), offering broader reach into brand-owner packaging customers alongside its virgin scale.

Direct peers

• LyondellBasell: Major polyolefin producer with CirculenRecover range of PCR polyolefins targeting brand-owner packaging applications — directly competitive with GCR's CICLICNXT and CICLIC product lines.
• INEOS: INEOS Recycl-IN product line of recycled polyolefins serving packaging converters; competes head-to-head with GCR in PCR polyolefin supply across European brand owners.
• Borealis: Borcycle portfolio of mechanically and chemically recycled polyolefins serving flexible packaging, rigid packaging, and automotive markets — directly overlapping GCR's recycled polyolefin go-to-market.
• SABIC: Operates the TRUCIRCLE program offering certified circular/PCR polyolefins for packaging and consumer goods, mirroring GCR's positioning around certified post-consumer recycled polyolefins.

Emerging players

• Carbios: French biotech developing enzymatic PET recycling technology that addresses a different polymer stream but signals the emerging alternative-recycling competition pushing against mechanical recyclers like GCR on quality and end-use reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gcr-sustainable-plastic-solutions

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GCR