‘Tis the season for gift giving and holiday cheer! But the resulting glut of packaging waste from in-store and online shopping can strain our eco-system and landfills. To help combat this, Trex Company, manufacturing high-performance, wood-alternative decking and railing, is encouraging Americans to make recycling a new holiday tradition by urging them to bring plastic waste from holiday packages to any of its more than 32,000 recycling partner locations across the country to be upcycled into Trex outdoor living products.
“During the holiday season, many of us find ourselves inundated with plastic bags and packaging material from in-store and online shopping, not to mention all of the plastic used to package parts for toys, appliances and electronics,” said Stephanie Hicks, materials sourcing manager for Trex Company. “Trex offers a viable destination and second life for these materials, which are a key ingredient in the making of our eco-friendly products.”
Trex composite decking is sustainably made from 95% reclaimed materials, including a mix of industrial wood scrap and recycled polyethylene (PE) plastic film, nearly all of which comes from post-consumer sources. Through its nationwide NexTrex® recycling program, the company partners with grocery store chains and major retailers along with thousands of schools and community groups to make it easy and convenient for eco-minded consumers to responsibly dispose of plastic waste.
Each year, Trex upcycles in excess of 1 billion pounds of recycled and reclaimed material in the making of its world-famous decking, including more than 430 million pounds of polyethylene, making it one of the largest recyclers of plastic film in North America. The company actively sources and accepts flexible plastics and films such as shopping bags, newspaper sleeves, dry cleaner bags, ice bags and package liners, as well as plastic shipping mailers, bubble wrap and the air pillows commonly found in online order packaging. “Basically, if it stretches, it qualifies,” noted Hicks. “Simply look for the #2 or #4 recycling symbols to indicate that it is polyethylene and make sure materials are clean and free from contamination.”