What Acoplásticos does

Acoplásticos (Asociación Colombiana de Industrias Plásticas) is a Colombian non-profit trade association (entidad gremial sin ánimo de lucro) founded in 1961 and headquartered in Bogotá. It represents and convenes companies across the chemical production chains of plastics, plastic recycling, paints, rubber, inks, and composite materials. The organization operates as a membership-based gremial with approximately 15 staff, governed by President Daniel Mitchell and Executive Vice President Paula Ocampo, and substantially supplements its operating base through multilateral partnerships (SENA, USAID, PNUD, GIZ) and international affiliations (Global Plastics Alliance, Global Vinyl Council, LATINPIN).

The association's product surface is structured around five sectoral chapters: Acopinturas (paints and coatings), Acocauchos (rubber), Aco3d (3D printing and digital fabrication), ALMACO Colombia (composite materials), and the core plastics division. Operational platforms include Poliskills, a free e-learning platform for employees of member companies covering technical, digital, soft, and cross-cutting skills; Acorep, the environmental management plan for packaging and container waste; and multiple consumer-facing campaigns (Si lo usas bien todo bien, Dale Vida al Plástico, Go Plastic, ¡A Pintar se Dijo!, OPCLEANSWEEP). The association also runs the annual Plásticos en Colombia industry report and the ColombiaPlast trade exhibition.

Acoplásticos' revenue model is membership-dues driven (subscription recurring) with no publicly disclosed pricing. Members receive advocacy, training access, networking, publications, and exclusive discounts on ICIPC services (20% conference room, 10% training, 10% lab, 30% diplomas). The member base spans large multinationals (BASF, SunChemical, Eternit) and mid-market Colombian manufacturers (Pintuco, Pintuland, Alfa, Invesa-Sapolin, Pinturas Bler, Philaac SAS, Pinturas Tito Pabón, Químicoplásticos). The association additionally generates project income from SENA co-financing, multilateral environmental projects, and event/fair revenue (ColombiaPlast, Premio de Arte Acoplásticos in alliance with ARTBO).

Name

Acoplásticos

Legal name

Asociación Colombiana de Industrias Plásticas - Acoplásticos

Website

https://www.acoplasticos.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Acoplásticos is a Colombian non-profit trade association founded in 1961 that represents and convenes companies across the plastics, recycling, paints, rubber, inks, and composite materials industries, delivering advocacy, training, and sustainability services through membership dues and sectoral chapters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: Acoplásticos generates revenue through annual membership fees from affiliated companies in the plastics, recycling, paints, rubber, inks, and composite materials industries. Member benefits include participation in business networking events, access to publications, government advocacy, representation before international trade bodies, and exclusive discounts on partner services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Acoplásticos is a Colombian non-profit trade association founded in 1961 that represents and unites companies across the plastics, plastic recycling, paints, rubber, inks, and composite materials industries. It delivers value through five sectoral chapters (Acopinturas, Acocauchos, Aco3d, ALMACO, Acoplasticos base), the Poliskills e-learning platform for workforce training, government and international advocacy, sustainability initiatives, and annual industry publications such as 'Plásticos en Colombia'. Membership is the core commercial offering, with annual fees unlocking advocacy, networking, training discounts, and policy representation.

Product overview

Acoplásticos is a Colombian non-profit trade association (gremial) founded in 1961 that represents companies across the chemical industry supply chains including plastics, plastic recycling, paints, rubber, inks, and composite materials. The organization operates as a platform with multiple sectoral chapters and initiatives: its core offerings include Poliskills (an e-learning platform for workforce development), sectoral chapters (Acopinturas for paints, Acocauchos for rubber, ALMACO for composite materials, Aco3d for 3D printing), and various sustainability/communication initiatives (Si lo usas bien todo bien, Dale Vida al Plástico, Go Plastic). The association also produces annual industry publications like 'Plásticos en Colombia' and manages a cultural initiative (Premio de Arte Acoplásticos). While not a traditional product company, Acoplásticos functions as a service organization providing training, representation, and industry development services to its member companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Acopinturas: Sectoral chapter representing paint and coatings industry in Colombia
• Acocauchos
• Aco3d
• ALMACO Colombia
• Poliskills
• Premio de Arte Acoplásticos
• ¡A Pintar se Dijo!
• Si lo usas bien, todo bien
• Dale Vida al Plástico
• Go Plastic

Products and services

• Poliskills e-learning platform Free e-learning platform providing courses across four skill dimensions (technical, digital, soft, and cross-cutting skills) for employees of affiliated companies in plastics, paints, rubber, and composite materials sectors. Courses include generative AI topics sourced from LinkedIn Learning.
• Acocauchos sectoral chapter Sectoral chapter that groups, represents, and drives the development, competitiveness, consolidation, sustainability, and positioning of rubber industry companies in Colombia.
• ALMACO Colombia sectoral chapter Sectoral chapter that brings together and represents companies producing goods from composite materials for infrastructure, construction, furniture, transportation, and other sectors. Holds presidency of the SENA Sectoral Table for Composite Materials.
• Aco3d sectoral chapter Sectoral chapter that brings together and represents companies in the 3D printing and digital fabrication sector in Colombia, focused on constituting and strengthening the additive manufacturing ecosystem.
• Acopinturas sectoral chapter Sectoral chapter that groups, represents, and works to boost the development and competitiveness of paint and coating companies in Colombia, promoting innovation, formalization, and sustainability.
• Go Plastic recycling market program Program to dynamize recycling markets in Colombia through entrepreneurship and innovation support for companies offering solutions to bottlenecks in the plastic recycling industry. Uses A2censo (Colombian Stock Exchange) for financing campaigns.
• OPCleenSweep pellet containment program International program promoted by the American Chemistry Council and PLASTICS to prevent loss of plastic pellets into the environment. Acoplásticos is the official Colombian representative.
• Acoplásticos membership (affiliation) Annual affiliation program for industrial companies in plastics, recycling, paints, rubber, inks, and composite materials, providing access to advocacy, training discounts, networking events, publications, and government representation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 220,000+ direct jobs represented across member industries
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• ARTBO | FeriaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2025ARTBO | Feria Internacional de Arte de Bogotá is the main art fair in Colombia. The Premio de Arte Acoplásticos is developed in alliance with ARTBO, contributing to strengthening an ecosystem where art, education, and cultural economy converge. The prize awards 100 million pesos for art production exhibited at ARTBO.
• Instituto de Capacitación e Investigación del Plástico y del Caucho (ICIPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICIPC is a key training and research partner providing specialized training in polymeric materials, transformation processes, sustainability, and Industry 4.0. Offers personalized programs, technical consulting, certifications, R&D projects, and specialized laboratory with over 100 tests for plastics. Acoplásticos members receive exclusive discounts (20% on conference room, 10% on training, 10% on lab services, 30% on diplomas).
• SENAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje) co-finances specialized training projects through its Continuous Specialized Training Program. Contributed 890 million COP to training project benefiting 1,500+ workers. Provides sectoral tables for industry skills development and co-funding for training initiatives.
• Treball ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnered with Acoplásticos and ICIPC in specialized training project for the Colombian plastic industry, focusing on productivity and sustainability models.
• USAIDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSAID participates as strategic ally in environmental projects led by Acoplásticos, supporting sustainability initiatives in the Colombian plastics industry.
• PNUD (UNDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPNUD (United Nations Development Programme) collaborates as strategic ally in environmental projects, supporting sustainable development initiatives in the plastics sector.
• GIZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) partners with Acoplásticos on environmental projects, supporting sustainable development in the Colombian plastics industry.
• Responsabilidad Integral ColombiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoluntary initiative of the chemical industry promoting safe and sustainable management of chemical substances. Through its Risk Management Academy, offers specialized training in security, sustainability, emergency response, and risk management for companies handling chemical substances.
• AIMPLAS (Instituto Tecnológico del Plástico)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish Plastic Technology Institute provided specialized trainers with PhD credentials and international experience for SENA-funded training project.
• A2censo (Bolsa de Valores de Colombia)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborative financing platform of the Colombian Stock Exchange. Go Plastic initiative utilizes A2censo for financing campaigns and connections with investors and entrepreneurs developing recycling solutions.
• Confederación Cauchera ColombianaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcocauchos supported creation of the 'Uniendo Eslabones' platform, an online platform connecting different links in the Colombian natural rubber value chain and its transforming industry.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• ANDI (Asociación Nacional de Empresarios de Colombia): Colombia's largest and most influential private business association. Directly comparable as a Colombian gremial serving overlapping industrial sectors with similar advocacy, training, and policy representation functions.
• ABIQUIM (Associação Brasileira da Indústria Química): Brazilian chemical industry trade association. Closest functional peer in Latin America, representing chemical and plastics producers with advocacy, sustainability, and training programs analogous to Acoplásticos.
• ANIPAC (Asociación Nacional de Industrias del Plástico): Mexican plastics industry trade association. Directly comparable gremial serving plastics manufacturers and converters with advocacy, statistics, and trade fair (Expo Plasticos) functions mirroring Acoplásticos' ColombiaPlast model.

Broad incumbents

• PlasticsEurope: Pan-European plastics industry association. Larger, broader-scope peer offering similar advocacy, sustainability, and statistics functions for European plastics producers; Acoplásticos is a member of PlasticsEurope-affiliated Global Plastics Alliance.
• Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS): US-based plastics industry association. Comparable gremial serving US plastics manufacturers with trade shows (NPE), advocacy, and sustainability programs; partners with Acoplásticos on the Operation Clean Sweep program in Colombia.

Regional players

• LATINPIN (Federación Latinoamericana de Pinturas y Tintas): Latin American federation of paint and ink industry associations. Acoplásticos' Acopinturas chapter is a member, making it both a partner and a functionally comparable regional gremial for the paints vertical.
• Plastivida (Cámara Argentina de la Industria Plástica): Argentine plastics industry chamber. Regional gremial peer serving plastics manufacturers in Argentina with comparable advocacy and sustainability programming; competes for Latin American international influence.

Others

• ICIPC (Instituto de Capacitación e Investigación del Plástico y del Caucho): Colombian plastics and rubber training/research institute. Strategic partner of Acoplásticos offering specialized training and lab services with member discounts; thematically adjacent as an ecosystem enabler for the same plastics workforce.
• AIMPLAS (Instituto Tecnológico del Plástico): Spanish plastics technology institute. Partnered with Acoplásticos and ICIPC on SENA-funded training; comparable as a research/training enabler for the plastics industry ecosystem Acoplásticos represents.
• Responsabilidad Integral Colombia: Colombian chemical industry safety/sustainability initiative. Strategic ally of Acoplásticos providing the Risk Management Academy for member companies; adjacent peer serving overlapping membership in chemical safety training and ESG programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Acoplasticos
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@acoplasticosorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/acoplasticos.co
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asociaci-n-colombiana-de-industrias-pl-sticas-acopl-sticos
• Instagraminstagram.com/acoplasticos
• TikToktiktok.com/@acoplasticos

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Acoplásticos