GDB International

What GDB International does

GDB International, Inc. is a US-based, privately-held multi-service recycling and sustainability company founded in 1993 and headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The company operates across five distinct material streams from a footprint of 8 US facilities totaling approximately 2.2 million square feet, employing 475+ people. Its core operations include: (i) post-consumer polyolefin recycling with 45,000+ tons of annual US capacity, producing 90M lbs of certified Post-Consumer Resin (PCR) for flexible packaging manufacturers; (ii) recycled latex paint production, where GDB claims the position of world's largest producer, shipping to 67+ countries; (iii) stock lot paper and recovered pulp handling from North American mills; (iv) global non-ferrous metal scrap trading; and (v) lead-acid battery recycling and refining through its wholly-owned subsidiary Planetfirst.

Underlying technology centers on physical material processing — automated sortation, washing, grinding, and extrusion of polyolefins — plus specialized chemistry for lead-acid battery refining and latex paint reprocessing. GDB's "co-designing custom recycling solutions" service integrates partner specifications into these processing lines, positioning the company as a bespoke recycler rather than a commodity-only operator. Revenue is generated through direct B2B sales of recycled materials (PCR resin, recycled paint, recovered pulp, metal scrap) to manufacturing customers, supplemented by metals trading spread and battery recycling processing fees. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

GDB's go-to-market is enterprise field sales, targeting flexible packaging converters, paint manufacturers and brands, paper mills, metal manufacturers, and battery and specialty alloy buyers. Distribution relies on a combination of direct B2B relationships and global shipping logistics. The company markets primarily through industry media coverage and association affiliations rather than consumer-facing channels, reflecting its industrial B2B orientation. No public-company financials, funding rounds, M&A history, or named customer relationships are disclosed in available data.

Name

GDB International

Legal name

GDB International, Inc.

Website

https://gdbinternational.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

GDB International is a US-based, privately-held multi-service recycling company founded in 1993, operating 8 US facilities across five material streams: post-consumer resin, recycled latex paints, paper and pulp, non-ferrous metals, and lead-acid battery recycling via subsidiary Planetfirst. It serves industrial and manufacturing customers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Brunswick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Post-Consumer Resin (PCR) Sales: Processing and selling recycled polyolefin resins from flexible packaging waste to manufacturing companies for use in new products
2. Recycled Paint & Coatings Sales: Production and sale of recycled latex paints and coatings as the world's largest producer, shipping to over 67 countries
3. Metal Trading: Global trading of non-ferrous metal scraps through world-class global trading operations
4. Stock Paper & Pulp Recycling: Handling various grades of stock lot paper from North American mills, processing recovered pulp for reuse
5. Battery Recycling Services: Lead acid battery recycling and refining through subsidiary Planetfirst, providing specialty alloys and recycled lead

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

GDB International is a multi-stream recycling and sustainable materials manufacturer that produces post-consumer polyolefin resins (PCR) for flexible packaging, recycled latex paints (the world's largest producer), paper and recovered pulp products, and recycled lead and specialty alloys through its Planetfirst subsidiary. The company also operates global non-ferrous metal scrap trading and co-designs bespoke recycling solutions for partners across the circular economy value chain.

Product overview

GDB International is a multi-service recycling and sustainability company operating as a platform of distinct but complementary recycling solutions. The portfolio includes post-consumer polyolefin recycling (PCR) with over 45,000 tons US capacity, bespoke custom recycling solutions (sortation, washing, grinding, extrusion), GDB Paints & Coatings (world's largest recycled latex paint producer shipping to 67 countries), stock paper and recovered pulp recycling across 8 North American facilities, global non-ferrous metal trading, and Planetfirst (lead acid battery recycling subsidiary). The services are unified by a circular economy mission but address different material streams and customer segments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Post-Consumer Resins (PCR) Recycling

Quantifiable outcome

• 45,000+ tons capacity for post-consumer polyolefin recycling in United States
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stericycle: Specialized waste services company focused on regulated waste streams including medical waste and secure information destruction. Comparable as a multi-site, regulated industrial waste and recycling operator serving enterprise B2B customers.
• Clean Harbors: Largest provider of environmental and industrial services in North America, including hazardous waste management and recycling. Comparable to GDB's Planetfirst operation for hazardous materials handling and to broader multi-stream recycling capabilities.
• Waste Management Inc. Largest waste management and environmental services company in North America with significant recycling operations. Comparable as a broad incumbent recycling platform, though predominantly focused on municipal solid waste versus GDB's industrial B2B focus.
• Republic Services: One of the largest US waste management and recycling companies with extensive recycling operations across multiple material streams. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating in adjacent recycling verticals, though much larger and more diversified.
• Novolex Holdings: Major North American manufacturer of paper and plastic packaging products with significant PCR consumption and recycling operations. Comparable as a downstream customer and vertically integrated competitor in the recycled-content packaging supply chain.

Direct peers

• KW Plastics: Largest post-consumer HDPE and PP recycler in North America, processing over 1 billion pounds annually. Directly comparable to GDB's PCR polyolefin recycling operations and competing for the same flexible packaging and consumer goods customers.
• Heritage-Crystal Clean: Specialty waste and recycling services company focused on used oil recycling, parts cleaning, and hazardous waste handling. Comparable as a multi-stream industrial recycling and waste services operator serving B2B customers.
• Strategic Materials: North America's largest glass recycler and a major player in multi-stream materials recovery. Comparable as an industrial-scale materials recovery facility operator with similar B2B customer base in packaging and consumer goods manufacturing.
• EcoBat (formerly Gopher Resource): Global leader in lead acid battery recycling and lead production, operating multiple smelters across the US. Directly comparable to GDB's Planetfirst subsidiary and the most relevant peer for the battery recycling segment.

Emerging players

• PureCycle Technologies: Emerging plastic recycling company using proprietary purification technology to produce virgin-quality PCR resin. Represents the technology-enabled frontier of polyolefin recycling that could compete with GDB's mechanical recycling output in premium applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gdb-international-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 GDB International