loop_10k.htm

United States

Securities and Exchange Commission

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

☒	ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

	For the fiscal year ended February 28, 2023

☐	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

	For the transition period from ___________ to __________

Commission File No. 000-54768

Loop Industries, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Nevada		27-2094706
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

480 Fernand-Poitras Terrebonne, Québec, Canada J6Y 1Y4

(Address of principal executive offices zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (450) 951-8555

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock	LOOP	Nasdaq Global Market

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files) Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer	☐	Accelerated filer	☐
Non-accelerated Filer	☒	Smaller reporting company	☒
		Emerging growth company	☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark if whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

As at August 31, 2022, the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant (without admitting that any person whose shares are not included in such calculation is an affiliate) was approximately $103,490,371. As at May 17, 2023, there were 47,521,187 shares of the Registrant’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, outstanding.

Documents incorporated by reference:

Items 10, 11, 12 (as to security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management), 13 and 14 of Part III shall be incorporated by reference information from the registrant’s proxy statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the registrant’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

LOOP INDUSTRIES, INC.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

		Page No.
PART I

Item 1.	Business		4
Item 1A.	Risk Factors		14
Item 2.	Properties		22
Item 3.	Legal Proceedings		23
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures		23

PART II

Item 5.	Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities		24
Item 6.	Selected Financial Data		24
Item 7.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations		24
Item 7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk		33
Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data		34
Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure		35
Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures		35
Item 9B.	Other Information		35

PART III

Item 10.	Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance		36
Item 11.	Executive Compensation		36
Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters		36
Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence		36
Item 14.	Principal Accounting Fees and Services		36

PART IV

Item 15.	Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules		37
Item 16	Form 10-K Summary		39
	Signatures		40

Table of Contents

CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K of Loop Industries, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company,” “Loop,” “we,” or “our”), contains “forward-looking statements,” as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” or “continue,” or the negative of such terms and other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about our market opportunity, our strategies, ability to improve and expand our capabilities, competition, expected activities and expenditures as we pursue our business plan, the adequacy of our available cash resources, regulatory compliance, plans for future growth and future operations, the size of our addressable market, market trends, and the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. Actual results may differ materially from the projections discussed in these forward-looking statements. The economic environment within which we operate could materially affect our actual results. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. These risks and other factors include, but are not limited to, those listed under “Risk Factors.” Additional factors that could materially affect these forward-looking statements and/or projections include, among other things: (i) commercialization of our technology and products, (ii) our status of relationship with partners, (iii) development and protection of our intellectual property and products, (iv) industry competition, (v) our need for and ability to obtain additional funding relative to our current and future financial commitments, (vi) engineering, contracting, and building our manufacturing facilities, (vii) our ability to scale, manufacture, and sell our products in order to generate revenues, (viii) our proposed business model and our ability to execute thereon, (ix) adverse effects on the Company’s business and operations as a result of increased regulatory, media, or financial reporting scrutiny, practices, rumors, or otherwise, (x) disease epidemics and other health-related concerns and crises, which could result in reduced access to capital markets, supply chain disruptions and scrutiny, embargoing of goods produced in affected areas, government-imposed mandatory business closures and any resulting furloughs of our employees, government employment subsidy programs, travel restrictions or the like to prevent the spread of disease, or market or other changes that could result in non-cash impairments of our intangible assets, and property, plant and equipment, (xi) the effect of the continuing worldwide macroeconomic uncertainty and its impacts, including inflation, market volatility and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange and interest rates, (xii) the outcome of any SEC investigations or class action litigation filed against us, (xiii) our ability to hire and/or retain qualified employees and consultants, (xiv) other events or circumstances over which we have little or no control, and (xv) other factors discussed in our subsequent filings with the SEC.

Management has included projections and estimates in this Form 10-K, which are based primarily on management’s experience in the industry, assessments of our results of operations, discussions and negotiations with third parties, and a review of information filed by our competitors with the SEC or otherwise publicly available.

In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as at the date of this Form 10-K, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.

We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which are in reference to the date made. We disclaim any obligation subsequently to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

Table of Contents

PART I

General

As used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the following terms are being provided so investors can better understand our business:

Depolymerization refers to the chemical process of breaking down a polymer molecule into its constituent monomers or smaller subunits. Depolymerization is the opposite of polymerization.

DMT is an acronym for dimethyl terephthalate, which is a monomer used in the production of polyethylene terephthalate (“PET”).

MEG is an acronym for monoethylene glycol, which is a monomer used in the production of PET.

Polymerization refers to a process of reacting monomer molecules together in a chemical reaction to form polymer chains or three-dimensional networks.

PET is an acronym for polyethylene terephthalate, which is a resin and a type of polyester showing excellent tensile and impact strength, chemical resistance, clarity, and processability, and reasonable thermal stability. PET is the material which is most commonly used for the production of polyester fiber and plastic packaging, including plastic bottles for water and carbonated soft drinks, containers for food and other consumer products; it is commonly identified by the number “1”, often inside an image of a triangle, on the packaging. PET is also used as a polyester fiber for a variety of applications including textiles, clothing and apparel.

rPET is an acronym for recycled polyethylene terephthalate.

Industry and Market Data

The industry and market data relating to our business included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K on our internal estimates and research, as well as publications, research, surveys, and studies was conducted by independent third parties not affiliated to us.

Industry publications, studies, and surveys generally state that they were prepared based on sources believed to be reliable, although there is no guarantee of accuracy. While we believe that each of these studies and publications is reliable, we have not independently verified the market and industry data provided by third-party sources. In addition, while we believe our internal research is reliable, not all such research has been verified by an independent source. We note that assumptions underlying industry and market data are subject to risks and uncertainties, including those discussed under “Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Annual Report.

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Overview

Loop is a technology company whose mission is to accelerate the world’s shift towards sustainable PET plastic and polyester fiber and away from our dependence on fossil fuels. Loop owns patented and proprietary technology that depolymerizes no and low-value waste PET plastic and polyester fiber, including plastic bottles and packaging, carpets and textiles of any color, transparency or condition and even ocean plastics that have been degraded by the sun and salt, to its base building blocks (monomers). The monomers are filtered, purified and polymerized to create virgin-quality Loop^™ branded PET resin suitable for use in food-grade packaging and polyester fiber, thus enabling our customers to meet their sustainability objectives. Loop is contributing to the global movement towards a circular economy by reducing and recovering plastic waste for a sustainable future.

The Company is presently in the planning stages of pursuing the construction of Infinite Loop™ commercial scale facilities. Loop is currently engaged in discussions to secure financing for its investments in the various planned manufacturing facilities and the sequencing of the manufacturing facilities will be determined in conjunction with the outcome of the Company’s financing discussions and discussions with our partners.

Table of Contents

Background

Industry Background

We believe Loop's depolymerization technology offers a superior solution to mechanical recycling by enabling the use of a wider variety of PET feedstock, including complex and degraded plastics as well as polyester fiber, to produce virgin quality rPET with no degradation through continued recycling.

Mechanically recycled PET plastic is produced principally through the conversion of bales of PET bottles. The materials have been collected and transported to a materials recovery facility, where they are sorted from other materials, baled, and sent to specific PET recycling facilities. The bales are broken and sorted to remove any non-PET materials. The PET is then ground and put through a separation process which separates the PET from the bottle cap and label materials. Clean PET flake is then further processed depending on its intended end market. It may become more highly refined PET pellets for new bottles or extruded into PET sheet for clamshells, trays, and cups. Recycled PET is also spun into fiber for carpet, clothing, fiber fill, or other materials.

We believe mechanically recycled PET faces a number of challenges in meeting the quality specifications and growing volume requirements implied by commitments from major brands, mainly due to the cost and variety of acceptable PET feedstock. Some mechanical recycling processes involve remelting the PET flake which reduces the quality of the rPET output each time it is recycled relative to the specifications of virgin PET produced from fossil fuels. Each time PET plastic is mechanically recycled, its quality and clarity are reduced. Therefore, mechanically recycled PET may need to be mixed with virgin PET from fossil fuels to maintain quality. Lower quality mechanically recycled PET is often downcycled to alternate uses such as polyester fibers which may be dyed and used in carpets or clothing. Additionally, mechanically recycled PET manufactured for use in clear bottles or food containers requires predominantly clear and clean PET flakes separated from waste bales, and cannot accommodate colored or opaque PET flakes, lower quality fiber feedstock, or materially contaminated feedstock, which may be cheaper.

Chemical recycling is a process in which plastics are broken down into their constituent molecules through chemical reactions, rather than being physically melted down and reprocessed as in mechanical recycling. This approach, which we utilize, has several advantages over mechanical recycling, which can have limitations due to the complexity and diversity of plastics.

One of the main limitations of mechanical recycling is that it is difficult to recycle plastics that have been contaminated or degraded. For example, if a plastic container has been exposed to heat or sunlight, it may become brittle and prone to breaking during the recycling process. Another limitation of mechanical recycling is that it is difficult to recycle certain types of plastics, such as multi-layered or composite plastics. These plastics are often used in food packaging or other products that require specialized properties like barrier protection or insulation. Chemical recycling, however, can break down these degraded or complex plastics into their constituent molecules, which can then be purified and used to create new products.

Chemical recycling has the potential to create a closed-loop system for plastic waste, whereby plastics can be recycled an infinite number of times without degrading the quality of the material. This is because the constituent molecules can be broken down and reassembled without losing their original properties, which can reduce the need for new plastics to be produced.

We believe chemical recycling offers a promising solution to the limi

SEC Form 10-K filed by Loop Industries Inc.