Plastic Grocery Bags: Recycling is the Practical Solution

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Plastic Grocery Bags Recycling is the Practical
Solution

• Raymond Hampton
• Trex Company, Inc.

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About Trex Company, Inc.

• Manufacturer of Trex Decking, Fencing and
  Railing, the leading brand of alternative lumber
  in North America. 
• A former division of Mobil Corporation, the
  company was formed by four Mobil executives in
  1996 and went public in April 1999.
• Trex Companys Headquarters, RD and a production
  plant are located in Winchester, VA. A second
  plant opened in Fernley, NV in July 1999.   

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Plant LocationsWinchester, VA and Fernley, NV
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Raw MaterialsReclaimed Wood Reclaimed
Polyethylene Film
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Extrusion Process
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Why plastic and wood together?

• The plastic shields the wood from moisture and
  insect damage, so there's no rotting or
  splintering.
• The wood protects the plastic from UV damage and
  gives your deck a solid, natural feel.
• Trex lumber offers superior durability and
  performance that you can't get from wood. Trex
  never requires staining or painting to maintain
  its look.
• Not only is Trex an environmentally friendly
  product but it is a safe product for the
  consumer. Trex does contain any harmful
  chemicals and the decking boards are slip
  resistant, meeting ADA codes.
• Trex offers design flexibility and creative
  freedom. You can bend and curve Trex to create
  unique designs, and you can mix and match colors
  and finishes for a one-of-a-kind custom look.

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Whats the problem with plastic bags?

• There is a growing concern about litter caused by
  careless disposal of plastic, particularly
  plastic grocery bags. Plastic bags are extremely
  light and travel easily in even the slightest
  breeze.
• The problem is not the bags themselves but the
  behavior of those who toss them indiscriminately,
  littering streets, parks, beaches, rivers, lakes,
  and seas.
• Banning bags is a short-term solution to the
  litter problem and a source of major
  inconvenience for most shoppers.
• Plastic bags cost a fraction of the price of
  paper bags. They are light, convenient, and have
  a number of practical re-use applications.
• Plastic bags are cheaper to recycle than paper
  bags.

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Trex Plastic Bag Facts

• Since the 1990s, Trex has evaluated various bag
  collection methods and recycling processes along
  with investing over 30 MM to determine the most
  optimal, economical, and sustainable process for
  recycling plastic bags into Trex lumber.
• Trex Company has consumed billions of bags over
  the last decade.
• Top 5 States For Trex Bag Recycling in 2007
• PA over 177 MM bags
• NC over 163 MM bags
• IL over 147 MM bags
• CA over 138 MM bags
• OR over 103 MM bags

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Plastic Bag Recycling

• In the past 5 years, Trex has recycled over 6.5
  Billion bags.
• Over 17.5 MM lbs. or 1.168 B bags in 2003.
• Over 17.9 MM lbs. or 1.191 B bags in 2004
• Over 17.6 MM lbs. or 1.176 B bags in 2005
• Over 22.0 MM lbs. or 1.472 B bags in 2006
• Over 23.2 MM lbs. or 1.546 B bags in 2007

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Trex Lumber Facts

• A Trex 2 X 6 board that is 16 ft. long uses
  approx. 2,250 bags.
• There are approx. 140,000 bags in a 500 square
  foot deck of 2 X 6 lumber.
• Trex procures approx. 50 of the available
  recyclable grocery bags in the nation.

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Promote, Collect, Consolidate

• Promote Who can promote the recycling of
  plastic bags?
• Recyclers
• Bag Manufacturers
• Retailers
• Schools
• Recycling Coordinators
• Municipalities
• Trade Associations
• Environmental Groups
• Legislators
• General Public
• Collect - Where can we collect and capture
  grocery bags for recycling?
• Retailers / Shopping Centers
• Grocers
• Municipal Recycling Centers
• Schools
• Offices
• Consolidate What are the best locations for bag
  recycling consolidation?
• Distribution Centers

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Hybrid Bag Recycling Projects

• School Recycling Projects
• Municipal Recycling Projects (compact balers)
• Projects utilizing Handicap Individuals

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Collection projects
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Collection Projects
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Bags to Benches

• Trex has launched several programs with local
  Virginia School Systems to collect bags.
• The student classrooms compete against one
  another to see which school can collect the most
  bags.
• The bags are collected, counted and returned to a
  local grocer who recycles with Trex.
• The winning school is awarded a bench made of
  Trex decking lumber and a pizza party.

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Wise County Virginia

• Hurley Elementary

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Virginia Recycling Facts

• Trex recycled 26MM bags in 2006 and 34MM bags in
  2007.
• Trex captured a total of 5.8 MM pounds of
  Polyethylene film in Virginia for 2007.
• Trex is projecting to capture 50MM bags in 2008.

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Virginia Challenge

• Trex would like to challenge the state of
  Virginia and its residents to be the top state
  in the nation for recycling Polyethylene grocery
  sacks and film.
• Whats needed? More education and promotion!

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Thank you! Questions?