Arkansas Poly & Printing, Trex recycle over 450 tonnes of plastic film in a year

Arkansas Poly & Printing, a U.S.-based flexible film manufacturer, has contributed 453.59 tonnes (1 million pounds) of polyethylene (PE) plastic film to wood-alternative decking company Trex in just over a year. The company joined Trex’s NexTrex Recycling programme in June 2022, through which Trex partners with commercial businesses and community organizations across the United States to collect and transport recycled plastic material to its manufacturing facilities in Virginia and Nevada

The entire portfolio of Trex’s composite decking is made from 95% recycled and reclaimed materials, including a mix of PE film, known as pallet wrap in the distribution industry, and industrial wood scrap.

“This is an impressive milestone and a testament to the energy and commitment of the Arkansas Poly & Printing team,” said Zach Lauer, vice president of supply chain for Trex Company. “Commercial partners are essential to Trex’s sourcing efforts and we are excited to be working with an organization that shares our vision for driving the recycling of plastic films.

The global pallet wrap market is estimated at $6.14 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow 4% every year to $9.12 billion in 2033, analysis by Future Market Insights indicates. In North America, the market grew by of an average of 3.1% every year from 2018 to 2022. The PE film is used in huge volumes by logistics companies, among others, and more often than not ends up in landfill.

Companies like Trex are working to change that pattern, with the U.S.-based manufacturer saying it repurposes 400 million pounds of plastic film a year, reportedly making it one of the largest recyclers of PE film in North America. The company is in the process of building what will be its third U.S. production site located within the Port of Little Rock, Arkansas. The approximately $400 million campus will include buildings dedicated to decking and railing production, warehousing, reclaimed wood storage, and plastic film recycling and processing.