Trex cites film recycling effort as part of sustainability focus

Winchester, Virginia-based recycled-content building products maker Trex Co. Inc. has published its 2019 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, in conjunction with launching a new Trex ESG Hub on the Company’s website.

In the ESG report, the company says the environmental footprint of its decking products “has improved across all impact categories since [a] 2016 life cycle analysis (LCA).” Adds Trex, “This is particularly noteworthy given the increased production associated with the introduction of the new Trex Enhance decking product, sourcing more materials to support higher volume, upgrading manufacturing operations, and improving output on legacy product lines.”

Trex also says the launch of NexTrex, a polyethylene (PE) film collection program, has expanded the reach of the company’s recycling initiatives and increased its base of participating retailers and consumers.

In 2019, Trex says it used more than 425,000 tons of PE film and reclaimed wood fibers in its products, including about 200,000 tons of PE film scrap.

“These accomplishments are aligned with the company’s values and reflect excellent execution on behalf of our leadership team and dedicated workforce,” says Trex President and CEO Bryan Fairbanks.

“Environmental stewardship is embedded in the Trex DNA, and we continually seek ways to strengthen our legacy,” adds Fairbanks. “Since inception, our decking products have been made with 95 percent-plus recycled material content. Recycled consumer and industrial polyethylene film and reclaimed wood are the primary material sources for Trex decking.”

The company says in 2019 it used closed-loop water recirculation systems at its manufacturing facilities in Virginia and Nevada to recycle approximately 99 percent of the water used there in 2019. The ESG report  also indicates safety programs resulted in a 24 percent reduction in recordable incident rates in 2019, and during the year it improved its employee retention rate for hourly workers by 25 percent.

“Looking ahead, our strategic objective to accelerate the conversion from wood decking to sustainable Trex composite decking will result in more plastic being diverted from landfills and allow us to employ more people, which, in turn, will benefit the communities in which we operate,” states Fairbanks.