2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Liquidity Risk Assessment

Since its inception, the Company has been in the development stage with limited revenues from customers, and its ongoing operations and commercialization plans have been financed primarily by raising equity. The Company has incurred net losses and negative cash flow from operating activities since its inception and expects to incur additional net losses while it continues to develop and plan for commercialization. As at November 30, 2022, the Company’s available liquidity was $24.11 million, consisting of cash and cash equivalents of $21.52 million and an undrawn senior loan facility from a Canadian bank of $2.59 million. Additionally, the Company entered into an agreement on December 21, 2022 to sell its remaining land in Bécancour, Québec for $13.70 million (CDN $18.50 million) on or before February 24, 2023 as described in Note 22. Management actively monitors the Company’s cash resources against the Company’s short-term cash commitments to ensure the Company has sufficient liquidity to fund its costs for at least twelve months from the financial statement issuance date. Management evaluates the Company’s liquidity to determine if there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. In preparing this liquidity assessment, management applies significant judgment in estimating future cash flow requirements of the Company based on budgets and forecasts, which includes developing assumptions related to: (i) estimation of amount and timing of future cash outflows and cash inflows and (ii) determining what future expenditures are committed and what could be considered discretionary. Based on this assessment, management believes that the Company will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of operations as they become due for a period of no less than twelve months from the date of issuance of these consolidated financial statements.

The Company’s ability to move to the next stage of its strategic development and construct manufacturing plants is dependent on whether the Company can obtain the necessary financing through a combination of the issuance of debt, equity, and/or joint ventures and/or government incentive programs. The Company is working with its joint venture partners to put in place the financing plan for the rollout of large-scale manufacturing in Asia and Europe, including the planned first Asian manufacturing facility in Ulsan, South Korea.However, there is no assurance that the Company will be successful in attracting additional funding. Even if additional financing is available, it may not be available on terms favorable to the Company. Failure to secure additional financing on favorable terms when it becomes required would have an adverse effect on the Company’s current operation and on its ability to execute its business plan.

The Company has committed a portion of its cash resources for certain long lead equipment and may enter into additional commitments to move commercial projects ahead within targeted construction timeframes.

Revenue recognition

The Company recognizes revenue with customers in accordance with ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). This standard applies to all contracts with customers, except for contracts that are within the scope of other standards, such as leases, insurance, collaboration arrangements and financial instruments. Under ASC 606, the Company recognizes revenue when its customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which the Company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that the Company determines are within the scope of ASC 606, the Company performs the following five steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies a performance obligation. The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the Company will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer. At contract inception, once the contract is determined to be within the scope of ASC 606, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within each contract and determines those that are performance obligations and assesses whether each promised good or service is distinct. The Company then recognizes as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied.

The Company enters into contracts with customers to sell Loop™ PET resin. These contracts include a single performance obligation, which is the delivery of Loop™ PET resin, and the transaction price is a fixed rate per delivered volume. Revenue is recognized when control of the product transfers to the customer, which is when product is delivered to the customer location.  Shipping and handling costs are accounted for as a fulfillment cost.

Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to use its judgment to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Those estimates and assumptions include the going concern assessment, estimates for depreciable lives of property, plant and equipment, intangible assets, analysis of impairments of long-lived assets and intangible assets as well as the carrying value of our joint venture investment, assets held for sale, accruals for potential liabilities, assumptions made in calculating the fair value of stock-based compensation and other equity instruments, and the assessment of performance conditions for stock-based compensation awards.

The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as supply chain and geo-political disruptions, inflation, and rising interest rates have affected business operations and planning for future commercial facilities to varying degrees for us and our customers, suppliers, vendors and other parties with whom we do business, and such disruptions are expected to continue for an indefinite period of time. The uncertain duration of these conditions has had and may continue to have an effect on our development and commercialization efforts.

Stock‑based compensation

The Company periodically issues stock options, warrants and restricted stock units to employees and non-employees in non-capital raising transactions for services and financing expenses. The Company accounts for stock options granted to employees based on the authoritative guidance provided by the FASB wherein the fair value of the award is measured on the grant date and recognized as compensation expense on the straight-line basis over the vesting period. When performance conditions exist, the Company recognizes compensation expense when it becomes probable that the performance condition will be met. Forfeitures on share-based payments are accounted for by recognizing forfeitures as they occur.

The Company accounts for stock options and warrants granted to non-employees in accordance with the authoritative guidance of the FASB wherein the fair value of the stock compensation is based upon the measurement date determined as the earlier of the date at which either a) a commitment is reached with the counterparty for performance or b) the counterparty completes its performance.

The Company estimates the fair value of restricted stock unit awards to employees and directors based on the closing market price of its common stock on the date of grant.

The fair value of the stock options granted is estimated using the Black-Scholes-Merton Option Pricing (“Black-Scholes”) model, which uses certain assumptions related to risk-free interest rates, expected volatility, expected life of the stock options, and future dividends. Stock-based compensation expense is recorded based on the value derived from the Black-Scholes model and on actual experience. The assumptions used in the Black-Scholes model could materially affect stock-based compensation expenses recorded in the current and future periods.

Restricted cash

Cash held by the Company restricted as to withdrawal or use is presented as restricted cash in the consolidated balance sheet. As at November 30, 2022, restricted cash comprised of cash in escrow for a legal settlement and cash restricted in use for a commercial project.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value using the average cost method. Inventory cost includes direct labor, cost of raw materials and production overhead.

The Company separates its inventories into three main categories: raw materials, work in process, and finished goods. The raw materials category includes goods used in the production process that have not yet entered the production process at the balance sheet date and mainly comprises chemicals and other process consumables. The work in process category includes goods that are in the production process at the balance sheet date and mainly comprises monomers that have not yet been polymerized into Loop™ branded PET resin. The finished goods category includes goods that have completed the production process and mainly comprises Loop™ branded PET resin.

Research and development expenses

Research and development costs are charged to expense as costs are incurred in performing research and development activities. Research and development expenses relate primarily to process development and design, producing initial volumes of product for customers, testing of pre-production samples, machinery and equipment expenditures for use in the small-scale production facility in Terrebonne, Québec (the “Terrebonne Facility”), compensation, and consulting and engineering fees. Research and development costs are presented net of related tax credits and government grants.

Assets held for sale

Assets are classified as held for sale when they met the criteria set out in ASC 360-10-45-9 Long-lived assets classified as held for sale:

When the criteria are met, the assets are presented at the lesser of fair market value, net of selling costs, and cost in current assets.

Foreign currency translations and transactions

The accompanying consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars, the reporting currency of the Company. Assets and liabilities of subsidiaries that have a functional currency other than that of the Company are translated to U.S. dollars at the exchange rate as at the balance sheet date. Income and expenses are translated at the average exchange rate of the period. The resulting translation adjustments are included in other comprehensive income (loss) (“OCI”). As a result, foreign currency exchange fluctuations may impact operating expenses. The Company currently is not engaged in any currency hedging activities.

For transactions and balances, monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into the functional currency of the entity at the prevailing exchange rate at the reporting date. Non-monetary assets and liabilities, and revenue and expense items denominated in foreign currencies are translated into the functional currency using the exchange rate prevailing at the dates of the respective transactions. Foreign exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of such transactions are recognized in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, except for gains or losses arising from the translation of intercompany balances denominated in foreign currencies that forms part in the net investment in the subsidiary which are included in OCI.

Net earnings (loss) per share

The Company computes net loss per share in accordance with FASB ASC 260, Earnings Per Share. Basic earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net income (loss) applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the year. The Company includes common stock issuable in its calculation. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net income (loss) applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the number of additional common shares that would have been outstanding if all dilutive potential common shares had been issued, using the treasury stock method. Potential common shares are excluded from the computation if their effect is antidilutive.

For the nine-month periods ended November 30, 2022 and 2021, the calculations of basic and diluted loss per share are the same because potential dilutive securities would have an antidilutive effect. As at November 30, 2022, the potentially dilutive securities consisted of 2,542,000 outstanding stock options (2021 – 1,570,000), 4,036,803 outstanding restricted stock units (2021 – 4,014,928), and 7,104,553 outstanding warrants (2021 – 11,659,418).

Recently adopted accounting pronouncements

In November 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-10, “Disclosures by Business Entities about Government Assistance”. This ASU provided guidance to increase the transparency of government assistance including the disclosure of (1) the types of assistance, (2) an entity’s accounting for the assistance, and (3) the effect of the assistance on an entity’s financial statements. Under the new guidance, an entity is required to provide the following annual disclosures about transactions with a government that are accounted for by applying a grant or contribution accounting model by analogy: (1) information about the nature of the transactions and the related accounting policy used to account for the transactions, (2) the line items on the balance sheet and income statement that are affected by the transactions, and the amounts applicable to each financial statement line item and, (3) significant terms and conditions of the transactions, including commitments and contingencies. This update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021. The adoption of this accounting guidance did not impact the disclosures in our Consolidated Financial Statements.

In September 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-04, “Disclosure of Supplier Finance Program Obligations”. This ASU provided guidance to increase the transparency of supplier finance programs. The amendments in this ASU require that a buyer in a supplier finance program disclose sufficient information about the program to allow a user of financial statements to understand the program’s nature, activity during the period, changes from period to period, and potential magnitude. To achieve that objective, the buyer should disclose qualitative and quantitative information about its supplier finance programs. This update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. We are currently evaluating this accounting guidance, which may have disclosure impact only.