Trex exceeds ambitious recycling goals
Through its NexTrex Grassroots Movement, Trex is working with eco-minded businesses, municipalities, educational institutions and other organizations across the country to responsibly dispose of polyethylene (PE) plastic waste and give it new life as durable, environmentally-friendly composite decking. Since launching in August 2022, this collaborative recycling initiative has experienced a 227 percent increase in participation, per the company.
“The growth we’ve seen over the past two years is a testament to the effectiveness and ease of the program and the commitment of our dedicated recycling partners,” said Stephanie Hicks, materials and recycling programs manager for Trex Company. “Our Grassroots Movement has made it easier than ever for communities and organizations to participate in recycling, helping to divert significant amounts of plastic waste from landfills by repurposing it into sustainable composite decking.”
NexTrex is a nationwide material sourcing initiative for Trex. The company manufactures its composite decking from primarily recycled and reclaimed content, including a mix of industrial wood scrap and polyethylene plastic film, nearly all of which comes from post-consumer sources.
Bridging Trex’s community-based Recycling Challenge and large-scale Commercial Recycling Partnerships, the Grassroots Movement extends the benefits of Trex recycling to organizations that may not meet the volume criteria for the commercial program. Organizations approved for participation serve as drop-off locations where local community members can recycle PE plastic film materials that qualify to be recycled by Trex. These include everyday items like grocery/retail bags, produce bags, sandwich bags, case overwrap from paper towels and toilet paper, newspaper sleeves, dry cleaner bags, bubble wrap and flexible shipping pouches. Partners can also recycle shrink wrap, pallet wrap and other flexible plastic materials used in their operations. A full list of qualifying materials can be found at www.NexTrex.com.
“Because plastic film cannot be recycled in curbside bins with other recyclable materials, such as paper, cardboard and glass, the NexTrex program offers a simple way for consumers and organizations to responsibly dispose of plastic film waste,” explained Hicks.
Participating organizations are equipped with all the necessary tools and support to effectively manage the collection and baling of plastic film. Once 20-40 bales are accumulated (20,000-40,000 pounds of plastic film), Trex picks up and transports the material to its manufacturing facilities in Virginia or Nevada (or perhaps eventually Arkansas), where it is used to produce composite decking. Trex then compensates partners for the baled recyclable films.
Since the inception of the Grassroots Movement in 2022, it has grown to over 70 drop-off locations throughout the U.S., including a wide range of businesses, municipalities, colleges/universities and non-profit organizations. Together, these Grassroots partners have recovered more than 3 million pounds PE plastic waste from their communities.
One notable success story is the City of Flagler Beach, Florida, where sanitation supervisor Rob Smith has leveraged the NexTrex program to address the town’s challenges with plastic film recycling.
“Before partnering with Trex, we had absolutely no control over whether our discarded flexible plastics were truly being recycled,” said Smith. “Now, we not only know exactly where these materials are going, but we are also able to create revenue from our trash.”
“Municipalities and nonprofit organizations are ideal partners for our Grassroots Movement,” noted Hicks. “Colleges and universities also are having great success with this program by engaging staff, students and community members in responsible recycling. It’s really inspiring to see the amount of good that can be done when like-minded people come together to preserve our planet.”
rex upcycles more than 320 million pounds of recycled plastic waste annually in its manufacturing process. Over the past three decades, the company has diverted more than 5 billion pounds of plastic bags and film from landfills and waterways, according to the company.
