Company provides recycling solution for Union County, diverts 29 tons of plastic waste
Flexible plastic films such as grocery bags, shrink wrap, shipping pouches and cereal box liners are notoriously difficult to recycle curbside because they can jam sorting machinery.
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Known for its family-friendly communities and convenient proximity to Manhattan, Union County was facing a tough but common challenge. Flexible plastic films continued showing up in the waste stream, despite New Jersey’s statewide ban on single-use plastic bags.
Stuart Newman, chief of the Bureau of Recycling and Planning for Union County, knew the county needed a simple, scalable solution. He found the solution with Trex Co. and its NexTrex Grassroots Movement, a nationwide initiative that empowers municipalities and organizations to serve as collection hubs for recyclable polyethylene plastic film.
“The decision to start the program was easy,” said Newman. “It’s simple to run, and even with the bag ban in place, it immediately proved its value.”
NexTrex is a material sourcing initiative created by Trex Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking and residential railing. Each year, Trex uses more than 320 million pounds of recycled plastic in the making of its world-famous composite decking products, which are made of as much as 95% recycled and reclaimed materials. To date, the company has diverted more than five billion pounds of plastic film from landfills and waterways, making it one of the largest recyclers of PE film in North America.
A practical solution to a persistent problem
Flexible plastic films such as grocery bags, shrink wrap, shipping pouches and cereal box liners are notoriously difficult to recycle curbside because they can jam sorting machinery. Instead, these materials must be separated and processed using specialized equipment – making programs such as NexTrex essential to keeping them out of the waste stream.
“Plastic bag bans are an important step, but they simply aren’t enough to address the volume of plastic film that communities still encounter,” said Stephanie Hicks, Materials and Recycling Programs manager for Trex. “The NexTrex program fills that critical gap by giving municipalities a practical, turnkey way to keep this material out of landfills and put it to meaningful second use. Communities like Union County show just how powerful local engagement can be when residents are given a simple, effective solution.”
Through the NexTrex Grassroots Movement, partners such as Union County are equipped to serve as plastic collection sites in their communities. Trex provides signage, collection guidelines, baling support, logistics coordination and compensation for collected material, making it a viable source of ongoing funding for business operations or community initiatives.
Courtesy: www.unionnewsdaily.com