Even companies that use recycled materials have materials to recycle at the end of the day.
Trex Company, a manufacturer of high-performance, wood-alternative decking and railing, has found a viable way to close the recycling loop by using its excess raw material to produce linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) pellets. Ideal for use in a variety of manufacturing applications, these pellets represent an entirely new business for the Winchester, Virginia based company.
Leveraging its recycling and extrusion capabilities – and using equipment downtime to experiment with and test different solutions – the Trex engineering team ultimately delivered a linear low density polyethylene plastic pellet ideal for use in a variety of products and industries.
Dave Heglas, a chemical engineer with a background in rocket science and missile design, joined Trex in 1996 as an engineer responsible for the raw materials and plastic processing side of the business. After a few years working with recycled materials, he saw opportunities and potential value in using and repurposing recycled plastic. In 2004, Heglas formalized the company’s recycling operations, an initiative which has evolved into a company within the company.
Among those manufacturers were small companies that Trex contracted to produce plastic pellets. Over time, it occurred to Heglas that Trex could be fabricating pellets in-house rather than outsourcing to third parties. After nearly a decade of experience producing pellets for Trex internal use, the next logical progression was to leverage the in-house expertise and expand capabilities to produce pellets for additional industries and markets.
Currently, Trex has four lines dedicated to recycled pellet production, making it one of the largest producers of recycled LLDPE pellets in the country. The company has plans to add several more lines in the future.
Trex is actively working with manufacturers across a wide range of industries – such as rotational molding, blown film, profile extrusion and material compounding – to explore additional uses for its LLDPE pellets. As the product innovator, the company has the flexibility to modify and re-formulate pellet content as needed to better fit specific needs, processes and applications.
Published in the October 2015 Edition of American Recycler News
