WINCHESTER, Va., Nov. 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Don’t throw it away if it can be used in some other way! That’s the wisdom that Trex Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of high-performance, wood-alternative decking and railing, wants to teach today’s students. The Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge, which shows how plastic film can have a second life in composite decking, encourages K-12 schools to engage in friendly competition to collect the most plastic film per capita over a six-month period – between America Recycles Day (Nov. 15) and Earth Day (April 22) – for the chance to win Trex products.
“The Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge provides teachers and administrators with a fun and easy way to encourage students to recycle and to think green when it comes to their daily habits and communities,” said Stephanie Hicks, materials account manager for Trex Company. “Every year, thousands of students make a global impact by participating in this challenge. Last year, students from more than 700 schools nationwide kept over 500,000 pounds of plastic waste from ending up in landfills.”
Trex decking is made from 95% recycled plastic film and reclaimed wood fiber, making Trex one of the largest recyclers of plastic in North America. Each year, the company recycles more than 1.5 billion plastic bags to make its eco-friendly, wood-alternative outdoor living products and those bags are but a small portion of the polyethylene plastic film Trex recaptures from a variety of other common household items – such as case overwraps, sandwich/bread bags, newspaper sleeves and dry cleaning bags. The end result is decking products that last longer and require less maintenance than wood while offering an environmentally responsible choice to consumers.
“Since our beginning, we have always believed in the ‘three Rs’: reduce, reuse, recycle,” said Jim Cline, president and CEO of Trex Company. “The more schools that participate in the Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge, the more plastic waste we can divert from landfills to create high-performance, low-maintenance outdoor living products.”
The Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge is easy to implement for schools of any grade level and size. Participants receive a turnkey kit complete with detailed instructions, promotional materials, recycling bins and a list of qualifying recyclable materials, which include everyday items such as:
- Grocery and retail bags
- Bread bags
- Case overwraps
- Dry cleaning bags
- Newspaper sleeves
- Ice bags
- Ziploc and other reclose-able bags
- Produce bags
- Bubble wrap
- Salt bags
- Cereal bags
Participants weigh and report collection totals to Trex each month throughout the program before delivering the recycled plastic to designated Trex drop-off points in their communities.
National winners and regional finalists will be announced in conjunction with Earth Day on April 22, 2020. All participating schools will receive special recognition from Trex. Regional and national winners will receive products made from Trex decking to help beautify their school’s playground or campus.
The 2019-20 Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge begins November 15. To register, simply complete the online form at http://www.trex.com/recycling/recycling-programs/. For more information, visit Trex.com/Recycling.
About Trex Company
Trex Company is the world’s largest manufacturer of high performance wood-alternative decking and railing, with more than 25 years of product experience. Stocked in more than 6,700 retail locations worldwide, Trex outdoor living products offer a wide range of style options with fewer ongoing maintenance requirements than wood, as well as a truly environmentally responsible choice. For more information, visit trex.com. You also can follow Trex on Twitter (@Trex_Company), Instagram (@trexcompany) Pinterest (trexcompany), or Houzz (trex-company-inc), “like” Trex on Facebook, or view product and demonstration videos on the brand’s YouTube channel (TheTrexCo).
Contact: Lindsey Lucenta or Sara Tatay
L.C. Williams & Associates
800/837-7123 or 312/565-3900
llucenta@lcwa.com or statay@lcwa.com