APIP - Associação Portuguesa da Indústria de Plásticos

What APIP - Associação Portuguesa da Indústria de Plásticos does

APIP - Associação Portuguesa da Indústria de Plásticos is a non-profit industry association founded in 1975 (with predecessor origins in 1957) that serves as the official representative body of the Portuguese plastics industry. It is headquartered in Lisbon with a regional delegation in Oliveira de Azeméis and operates with approximately 20 staff. Its membership comprises Ordinary Members (industrial and commercial companies across the plastics value chain including packaging, construction, automotive, biopolymers, footwear, compounding, recycling, and raw materials) and Extraordinary Members (socio-economic and academic agents).

The organisation's core offering is a portfolio of member services: legal-labour advisory, technical support covering industrial regulation, quality, environment, certification and standardisation, internationalisation assistance (via connections with AICEP, IAPMEI and Chambers of Commerce), RTD project integration, employment exchange, legislation updates, specialised training, and industry-funding guidance. It also runs revenue-adjacent services including EuCertPlast auditor accreditation and End of Waste (FER) consultancy. APIP does not develop proprietary technology; instead it coordinates knowledge-sharing, standardisation, and large R&D consortia. It is recognised by IPQ as a Sectorial Standardisation Organisation (ONS) with responsibility for CT 58 and CT 161 technical committees, and coordinates flagship programmes including the ~€39M PRR-funded Sustainable Plastics Agenda (39 companies + 10 R&D entities), the Better Plastics R&D project (25 entities), the Portuguese arm of the Circular Plastics Alliance (175 organisations), Operation Clean Sweep Portugal, and the MORE recycled-polymers monitoring platform (with EuPC/PCE).

The association's revenue model is subscription-based membership fees from Ordinary and Extraordinary Members; pricing is not publicly disclosed. It is governed by a Board of Directors populated by senior executives from member companies across sub-sectors, plus an Audit Committee and General Assembly. Distribution is direct-to-member within Portugal, supported by a multi-channel marketing mix (website, email bulletins, webinars, social media, industry events, and media partnerships).

Name

APIP - Associação Portuguesa da Indústria de Plásticos

Legal name

APIP - Associação Portuguesa da Indústria de Plásticos

Website

https://apip.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Short description

APIP is the Lisbon-based non-profit trade association representing Portugal's plastics industry since 1975, offering its roughly 20-staff portfolio of legal, technical, training, standardisation and R&D-coordination services to member companies across the full plastics value chain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: APIP generates revenue through membership fees from Ordinary Members (industrial and commercial companies in the plastics value chain) and Extraordinary Members (socio-economic and academic agents). Members receive benefits including legal-labour support, technical support, internationalisation services, training, access to job exchange, legislation updates, specialised training, business opportunities, privileged sector information, and industry funding support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

APIP is a non-profit industry association that delivers membership-based support services to Portuguese plastics value-chain companies, including legal-labour advisory, technical and regulatory support, internationalisation assistance, training, employment exchange, legislation updates, and funding programme guidance. It also coordinates industry-wide R&D and circular-economy initiatives such as Better Plastics, the Sustainable Plastics Agenda, Operation Clean Sweep Portugal, and the MORE recycled polymers monitoring platform, and conducts EuCertPlast certification audits for recyclers.

Product overview

APIP is a non-profit trade association representing the Portuguese Plastics Industry. It provides a portfolio of member services including legal-labour support, technical assistance, RTD project integration, internationalisation support, employment exchange, legislation updates, specialised training, and industry funding guidance. The association also offers consultancy services for End of Waste Status (FER) and conducts EuCertPlast certification audits for recycling companies. APIP focuses on circular economy and sustainability initiatives, including the Better Plastics project, Operation Clean Sweep programme, and the MORE platform for monitoring recycled polymers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal-Labour Support Services

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Circular Plastics Alliance (CPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Circular Plastics Alliance is an initiative endorsed by APIP launched by the European Commission. It aims to boost the plastics recycling market in Member States to 10 million tonnes by 2025. The alliance covers the entire plastic value chain including 175 organisations, industry representatives, universities and the public sector.
• APA (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPIP collaborates with APA (Portuguese Environmental Agency) institutionally supporting the National Pact of the Plastics Industry for Circular Economy and Environmental Sustainability.
• DGAE (Direção-Geral das Atividades Económicas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPIP collaborates with DGAE (Directorate-General for Economic Activities) institutionally supporting the National Pact of the Plastics Industry for Circular Economy and Environmental Sustainability.
• Smart Waste Portugal AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPIP signed the Portuguese Plastics Pact promoted by Smart Waste Portugal Association. Under this pact, APIP assumes coordination of the Advisory Committee where several industry associations are represented.
• Better Plastics Consortium (25 entities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Better Plastics project is an initiative by APIP involving 25 entities including producers of plastic materials and raw materials, converters, brand-owners, retailers and distributors, waste management agents, technological centres and universities. It focuses on developing new materials, products, processes, systems, technologies and services for circularity and sustainability of Plastics in Portugal.
• European Plastics Converters (EuPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPIP collaborates with EuPC which developed the MORE digital platform for monitoring recycled polymers use by European industry. APIP coordinates this initiative nationally.
• ElectrãominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerElectrão collaborated with APIP in organising the EcoCriativo interuniversity competition challenging students to develop projects for waste prevention, recycling, material recovery, and circular economy.
• Novo VerdeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNovo Verde collaborated with APIP in organising the EcoCriativo interuniversity competition challenging students to develop projects for waste prevention, recycling, material recovery, and circular economy.
• IAPMEIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPIP maintains close connections with IAPMEI for support services to promote internationalisation and increase exports. IAPMEI also organises events such as the 3rd Meeting of the PRR's Mobilizing Agendas for Business Innovation.
• AICEPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPIP maintains close connections with AICEP for internationalisation support and overseas promotion initiatives, as well as information and dissemination services.
• Portuguese Institute for Quality (IPQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPIP is recognised by IPQ as a Sectorial Standardisation Organisation (ONS) whose field of intervention is 'Plastic Materials, excluding those intended for contact with foodstuffs.'
• American Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)coreOthersAPIP holds rights to use the Operation Clean Sweep brand in Portugal, granted by American Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) and American Chemistry Council (ACC).
• American Chemistry Council (ACC)coreOthersAPIP holds rights to use the Operation Clean Sweep brand in Portugal, granted by American Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) and American Chemistry Council (ACC).
• PlasticsEurope IbéricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlasticsEurope Ibérica provides support to APIP for promoting and disseminating the Operation Clean Sweep initiative in Portugal.
• Polymer Comply Europe (PCE)coreTechnology or IntegrationPCE manages the MORE (Monitoring Recyclates for Europe) digital platform in support of the European Commission's Plastics Strategy. APIP coordinates this initiative nationally.
• Lisbon Polytechnic Institute (IPL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPIP participated as a partner in U!REKA Connects 2026, organised this year by the Lisbon Polytechnic Institute (IPL), linking the U!REKA Awards to social responsibility.
• U!REKA NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPIP is a partner in U!REKA European University Connects 2026, an international event promoting innovation, collaboration, and development of solutions to future challenges.
• Bubble Creative StudiominorOthersBubble Creative Studio exclusively produced the Sustainable Plastics Agenda content featured on CNN Portugal.
• ANQIP (Associação Nacional para a Qualidade nas Instalações)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPIP is a founding member of ANQIP and actively collaborates in its Technical Committees for Standardisation.
• CERTIF - Associação para a Certificação de ProdutosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPIP participates in Technical Certification Committees of CERTIF, including CTC 03 (Certification of Pipes for Water for Human Consumption) and CTC 24 (Gas Pipes Certification).
• Logoplaste Innovation LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLogoplaste Innovation Lab leads the business initiative of the Sustainable Plastics Agenda, a project co-funded by PRR with approximately 39 million euros investment involving 39 companies and 10 entities.
• Sustainable Plastics Agenda ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable Plastics Agenda is a consortium of 39 companies and 10 entities from the Science and Technology System, covering various industry segments and addressing key challenges of the new expanded value chain for circular economy.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PlasticsEurope: Pan-European trade association representing plastics producers and converters in Europe. Directly comparable mission to APIP, operating at EU level with broader geographic scope and larger resources.
• European Plastics Converters (EuPC): European trade association for plastics converters. Directly comparable mandate—APIP explicitly collaborates with EuPC and coordinates the MORE platform nationally on its behalf.
• Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE): European trade association representing plastics recyclers. Comparable representational mandate in an adjacent segment of the plastics value chain where APIP is also increasingly active (EuCertPlast audits, Operation Clean Sweep).

Regional players

• British Plastics Federation (BPF): UK national trade association for the plastics industry. Plays an analogous national-level representative role to APIP but for the United Kingdom.
• ANAIP (Asociación Nacional de Industriales del Plástico): Spanish national plastics industry trade association. Comparable national-level trade association role for the Spanish plastics value chain, direct counterpart to APIP in Iberia.
• Smart Waste Portugal: Portuguese association promoting circular economy and waste management. Promotes the Portuguese Plastics Pact in which APIP coordinates the Advisory Committee—a closely aligned domestic peer with overlapping sustainability mandate.
• IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen: German trade association for the plastics packaging industry. Comparable national-level industry representation for a major European plastics economy, with similar service portfolio to APIP.

Broad incumbents

• Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS): US-based trade association representing the entire plastics industry supply chain. Larger and broader scope than APIP; explicitly cited as the rights grantor of Operation Clean Sweep to APIP.
• American Chemistry Council (ACC): US trade association for the chemistry industry with significant plastics-related activity. Co-grants Operation Clean Sweep rights to APIP and operates at significantly larger scale.

Emerging players

• Polymer Comply Europe (PCE): European service provider managing digital compliance platforms (including MORE) for the plastics sector. APIP explicitly coordinates PCE's MORE platform nationally, making it a direct operational peer for compliance-related service delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/APIP_Plastics
• Facebookfacebook.com/APIP-341419569526441
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apip

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about APIP - Associação Portuguesa da Indústria de Plásticos