Trex's Plastic Recycling Surges 227% Growth in Just Two Years

Trex Company, a leader in sustainable outdoor living products, is committed to addressing the plastic waste crisis. Through the NexTrex Grassroots Movement, they collaborated with businesses, municipalities, and organizations nationwide to divert polyethylene plastic waste from landfills and transform it into durable, eco-friendly composite decking. Since its launch in 2022, this initiative has gained significant momentum, with a remarkable 227% increase in participation.

NexTrex® represents a comprehensive material sourcing initiative launched by Trex, a global leader in wood-alternative decking and railing, renowned for its innovative outdoor living products. Trex specializes in producing its renowned composite decking primarily from recycled and reclaimed materials, which include a blend of industrial wood scrap and polyethylene (PE) plastic film, predominantly sourced from post-consumer waste.

The NexTrex® program integrates Trex's acclaimed community-based Recycling Challenge with its large-scale Commercial Recycling Partnerships, aiming to extend recycling benefits to a wider array of organizations. This grassroots initiative supports entities that may not qualify for the commercial program by offering them the opportunity to participate in the recycling process. Approved organizations act as drop-off points for local community members, facilitating the recycling of PE plastic film materials that meet Trex's recycling criteria

. These materials encompass everyday items such as grocery and 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. Additionally, the program allows partners to recycle shrink wrap, pallet wrap, and other flexible plastics used in their operations.

The NexTrex® program stands out for its ease of implementation and support structure. Participating organizations receive comprehensive tools and guidance to efficiently manage the collection and baling of plastic film. Once they accumulate between 20 to 40 bales, equating to 20,000 to 40,000 pounds of plastic film, Trex handles the pickup and transport of these materials to its manufacturing plants in Virginia or Nevada. There, the materials are transformed into high-performance, low-maintenance Trex composite decking. Trex also compensates participating organizations for the baled plastic film, providing a sustainable source of funding for their operations or community projects.

Since its launch in 2022, the NexTrex® Grassroots Movement has expanded to over 70 drop-off locations across the U.S., encompassing a diverse range of businesses, municipalities, colleges, and non-profits. These partners have collectively diverted more than 3 million pounds of PE plastic waste from local communities, demonstrating the program’s significant impact and commitment to sustainability.

Stephanie Hicks, Materials and Recycling Programs Manager for Trex Company, highlighted that the growth over the past two years demonstrates the success and simplicity of their recycling program, along with the dedication of their recycling partners. She noted that the Grassroots Movement has streamlined recycling participation for communities and organizations, significantly reducing plastic waste in landfills by converting it into sustainable composite decking.