Trex has made a big business of what many experts
think of as the grand evil of local recycling – plastic bags.
Not just bags, but a bunch of other things that are
unrecyclable in almost all city/county recycling programs, including “air
pillows.” (More on all that Trex takes -- and doesn't take -- later in the
story.)
Traded on the New York Stock Exchange, Trex has been at
this for almost 30 years. It takes what’s called “film” in the recycling
industry and converts it into composite decking.
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| Zach Lauer |
Trex makes wood-alternative decking that look like wood but don’t
deteriorate like wood. “Our deck boards are 95 percent recyclable material,”
Lauer said. “Only the very very thin outer shell is top-shelf virgin material,”
meaning new plastic that’s stain resistant.
Many suspect there are too many false claims made in
the recycling business, but a publicly traded company like Trex has legal
requirements that it tell the public – and its shareholders – the truth. It
markets itself as providing “outdoor living products … with fewer ongoing
maintenance requirements than wood, as well as a truly environmentally
responsible choice.”
It contracts with many supermarket chains throughout
America, including Winn-Dixie, plus large retail outlets and distribution
centers that use a lot of plastic film in their back-of-store and warehouse
operations. A Publix PR rep didn’t identify the recyclers that chain uses, but
its requirements for plastic match Trex’s exactly and Publix says its recycled
bags can made into outdoor decking.
Here's the Basic Economics:
Trex compensates stores for the time employees spend
collecting the materials, but it also promotes their stores with school and
community programs. Kids get told to do good for the world by having their
families take plastic bags to participating stores. That brings customers to
the stores – and give the stores publicity for being environmentally conscious.
And, of course, Trex itself gets a big boost as a green company that deserves
public support.
After the film is baled locally, it’s transported to Trex’s two processing centers, in Winchester, Va., and Fernley, Nev. (A third is planned for Little Rock, Ark.)
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| A Trex recycling line for plastic "film." Most recycling centers in America, including those in Miami-Dade and Broward, reject plastic bags because they gum up their systems. |
There the material is shredded, put through a
filtration process and converted into plastic pellets that can be heated in the
creation of the composite boards. “Our competitors are eager to get into these
streams, because they see the value,” Lauer said
Trex composite board “is not all plastic,” Lauer said.
“There are fillers from other waste streams.” He added he didn’t want to reveal
the Trex recipe for competitive reasons, but other sources say that the plastic
is blended with sawdust.
First, of course: “All plastic must be clean, dry and
free of food residue.”
Trex wants not just grocery bags, but bread bags, dry
cleaning bags, the plastic wrap that covers toilet-paper bundles, the wrap or
stretch film that covers pallets, newspaper sleeves, “case overwrap” (the
plastic that covers say, the top of a case of plastic water bottles, “air
pillows” and “bubble wrap” that protect breakable shipped goods, and the wrap
that covers electronic devices (like TVs).
Trex will take Ziploc bags, but they don’t want the
zipper part, so you’d have to cut that off.
Also acceptable are any plastic films labeled #2 or
#4, ice bags, wood pellet bags, salt bags and cereal box liners.
What NOT to include: Pre-washed salad mix
bags, frozen food bags, candy bar wrappers, chip bags (stuff with a shiny
metal-like lining), mesh or net produce bags, soil or mulch bags, pre-washed
salad mix bags, pet food bags, hot dog or meat wrap packaging, six-pack rings,
personal protective equipment (like gloves, masks, etc.), vinyl shower curtains
or tablecloths, bedding or linen packaging (these are thicker plastic
coverings) or “shiny, crinkly films like floral wrap.”
My favorite no-no’s listed on the Trex website are
“pool covers” and “backyard ice rinks.” Just in case you were thinking of
slipping them into your supermarket recycling bin.
The color of the plastic doesn’t matter. Bags with
paper or tape labels stuck on them are OK, but the paper/tape should be cut off
if possible.
If all this detail seems too confusing, Trex boils it
down to two basic rules:
“If the package will stretch when
you pull it, … it can be included. If it tears like paper, then please don't
put in the bin.
“Is the package shiny or does it make a
crinkly/crunchy sound in your hand? If yes, do NOT recycle.”
For more info, click HERE for the Trex website with recycling advice.
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| Trek's final products: Composite decking and outdoor furniture. |
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