Direct Polymers
Direct Polymers is a Denver-based plastics recycler and Colorado's largest plastics processor, supplying recycled plastic feedstock and processing services to startups, manufacturers, and materials scientists, and launching the NextRun circular-economy innovation hub.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Direct Polymers does
Direct Polymers LLC is a Denver, Colorado-based plastics recycler and processor founded in 2014. The company operates as Colorado's largest plastics processor, providing industrial-scale plastic recycling and processing services from its Denver facility. Its core business centers on receiving, sorting, and processing various types of plastics, supplying recycled plastic feedstock to customers seeking to incorporate recycled materials into their products.
Direct Polymers serves a horizontally segmented customer base that includes startups, established manufacturers, and materials scientists. The company provides these customers with access to recycled plastic feedstock, testing environments, and — through the upcoming NextRun innovation hub — industrial-grade machinery for prototyping and production. The revenue model is described as transaction-fee-based on plastics processing services.
In December 2025, Direct Polymers announced a partnership with nonprofit Circular Colorado to launch NextRun, a first-of-its-kind regional innovation hub for advancing plastic circularity. Housed within Direct Polymers' Denver facility, NextRun is expected to begin operations in the second half of 2026 and is designed to keep Colorado's recovered plastics in-state in anticipation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws taking effect in 2026. A later phase is planned to expand into construction and demolition waste streams. The company is a privately held LLC with 11–50 employees and no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investors.
Direct Polymers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Direct Polymers
- Legal name
- Direct Polymers LLC
- Website
- https://directpolymers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Direct Polymers is a Denver-based plastics recycler and Colorado's largest plastics processor, supplying recycled plastic feedstock and processing services to startups, manufacturers, and materials scientists, and launching the NextRun circular-economy innovation hub.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Direct Polymers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Plastics Recycling and Processing Services
- NAICS
- Other Plastics Product Manufacturing (32619), All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing (326199), Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080), Plastics Products, Nec (3089), Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Post-Industrial Plastics Scrap Recovery & Regrind (IMANAMAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Recycled & Reprocessed Polymer Resin Manufacturing (rPET, rPP, rPE; PCR/PIR resins) (IMANAAAH), Plastics Sorting & Reprocessing (PET, HDPE, Film) (BPALADAE), Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply) (EUAIAKAA)
Keywords
Where Direct Polymers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Direct Polymers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel
Revenue model
- Plastics processing services: Direct Polymers operates as Colorado's largest plastics processor, providing recycling and processing services to manufacturers and businesses seeking to incorporate recycled materials.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Direct Polymers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Direct Polymers operates a Denver-based plastics recycling and processing facility, recovering and processing various types of plastics to supply manufacturers and other buyers with recycled plastic feedstock. The company also provides access to testing environments, industrial-grade machinery, and collaboration spaces through the forthcoming NextRun innovation hub, enabling startups, manufacturers, and materials scientists to develop and prototype products from recycled plastics.
Product overview
Direct Polymers is Colorado's largest plastics processor and recycler. The company operates a Denver-based facility providing industrial-scale plastic recycling and processing capabilities. Through its partnership with nonprofit Circular Colorado, it is launching NextRun, an innovation hub that provides startups, manufacturers, and materials scientists with access to recycled plastic feedstock, testing environments, and collaboration spaces to develop products from recycled plastics. The offering consists primarily of recycled plastics processing and a collaborative innovation facility rather than a traditional software product platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Plastics Recycling and Processing Services
- NextRun Innovation Hub
Companies that use Direct Polymers
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Direct Polymers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Direct Polymers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Circular ColoradoflagshipDirect Polymers has partnered with nonprofit Circular Colorado to launch NextRun, a first-of-its-kind innovation hub for advancing a circular economy for plastics. The hub will be housed within Direct Polymers' Denver facility and provide startups, manufacturers, and materials scientists with access to recycled plastic feedstock, testing environments, and collaboration spaces. The first phase is expected to launch in the second half of 2026, with a later phase dedicated to construction and demolition waste streams. The partnership is designed to keep Colorado's recovered plastics in-state as extended producer responsibility laws take effect in 2026.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Direct Polymers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Novolex: Major packaging manufacturer with growing investments in PCR (post-consumer recycled) content. Comparable to Direct Polymers as a downstream buyer of recycled plastics and partner in the recycled feedstock supply chain, though primarily a packaging converter rather than recycler.
- Waste Management Inc: North America's largest waste and recycling services company, operating MRFs and polymer recovery facilities across the U.S. Broad incumbent comparable to Direct Polymers through its plastics sorting and recycling operations, but at vastly greater scale and with a diversified service portfolio.
- Republic Services: Major U.S. waste and recycling hauler with extensive polymer recovery operations through its Blue Polymers joint venture and recycling centers. Comparable to Direct Polymers as a plastics recycling infrastructure provider, though operating at national scale.
Direct peers
- KW Plastics: One of the world's largest plastics recyclers, processing post-consumer and post-industrial HDPE and PP into recycled resins. Direct peer to Direct Polymers as a large-scale commodity plastics processor/recycler supplying recycled resin to manufacturers.
- Envision Plastics: Recycles HDPE and PP into post-consumer recycled resin for consumer packaging. Direct peer to Direct Polymers as a recycler/processor supplying PCR resin to manufacturers.
- GreenMantra Technologies: Converts recycled plastics into specialty polymers and waxes. Comparable to Direct Polymers as a plastics recycler producing value-added outputs from recycled feedstock for industrial customers.
- MBA Polymers: Specializes in recycling engineering plastics (ABS, PC, nylon) from end-of-life vehicles and electronics. Comparable to Direct Polymers as a plastics recovery and reprocessing operation selling recycled feedstock to manufacturers.
- PureCycle Technologies: Recycles polypropylene using a proprietary purification process into ultra-pure recycled PP resin. Directly comparable to Direct Polymers as a plastics recycler producing recycled resin feedstock, though with a focus on advanced PP technology.
- CarbonLite: Large-scale PET bottle recycler producing food-grade rPET. Comparable to Direct Polymers as a plastics processor/recycler selling recycled feedstock to consumer goods manufacturers, though CarbonLite focuses specifically on PET.
Emerging players
- TerraCycle: Specializes in hard-to-recycle plastics and operates innovation/recycling programs with consumer brands. Comparable to Direct Polymers at the intersection of plastics recycling and circular-economy innovation, though focused on specialty waste streams.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Direct Polymers social profiles
Digital presenceDirect Polymers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Direct Polymers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Direct Polymers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Direct Polymers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Direct Polymers
What does Direct Polymers do?
Direct Polymers operates a Denver-based plastics recycling and processing facility, recovering and processing various types of plastics to supply manufacturers and other buyers with recycled plastic feedstock. The company also provides access to testing environments, industrial-grade machinery, and collaboration spaces through the forthcoming NextRun innovation hub, enabling startups, manufacturers, and materials scientists to develop and prototype products from recycled plastics.
Is Direct Polymers a public or private company?
Direct Polymers is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Direct Polymers founded?
Direct Polymers was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Direct Polymers based?
Direct Polymers is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does Direct Polymers make money?
One revenue line is on record: plastics processing services.
Who are Direct Polymers's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Novolex, Waste Management Inc and Republic Services. Direct peers are KW Plastics, Envision Plastics, GreenMantra Technologies, MBA Polymers, PureCycle Technologies and CarbonLite. TerraCycle is listed as an emerging player.
Does Direct Polymers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Direct Polymers.
What industry is Direct Polymers in?
Direct Polymers's product category is Plastics Recycling and Processing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMANAMAB, Post-Industrial Plastics Scrap Recovery & Regrind, with a secondary code of IMANAAAH, Recycled & Reprocessed Polymer Resin Manufacturing (rPET, rPP, rPE; PCR/PIR resins). Its NAICS code is 32619 and its SIC code is 3080.