From time to time I like to throw out a topics that can be debatable. I believe that the Green movement is for the best but I feel some take it to far. I hear people say we should ban plastic grocery bags, plastic beverage containers and other plastic products. I do believe we need to keep these products out of the land fill and also stop littering with these products. We need to educate more on the topic of recycling.
I what to show you an example of a product and a company that has taken recycling to a different level.
Trex Decking is a composite decking that is durable, easy to use and great looking. There are many other companies that supply a similar product but from my experience trex is one of the best. I have taken one piece of information from Trex’s website http://www.trex.com to explain how well they recycle.
Recycling Facts
* Trex keeps some 300,000 tons of plastic and wood scrap out of landfills every year.
* that comes to about 600,000,000 pounds saved annually
* NO TREES ARE CUT DOWN for the purpose of making Trex. Our wood comes from:
* reclaimed wood from woodworking operations
* used pallets
* sawdust (300 million pounds a year)
* Trex recycles all forms of polyethylene.
* Trex is one of the largest plastic bag recyclers in the United States.
* Grocery/Retail/Drug Stores
7 out of every10 recycled grocery bags in the U.S. end up at Trex (about 1.5 billion per year)
* Industrial Accounts
* Agricultural Operations
* Food & Beverage plants
* Government agencies
* Colleges & Universities
* Bulk Pellets/Flake & Densified
* Our manufacturing process is as green as our final product.
* Trailers are hydraulically powered with vegetable-based oil
* Our proprietary processing method eliminates smokestacks
* Factory runoff/refuse is recycled back into the manufacturing line
* As much as possible, Trex packaging is made from recycled paper and plastic.
* We regularly seek out third-party audits to make sure we’re continuously improving our green practices while meeting all environmental, health and safety guidelines and regulations.
Green Projects and Affiliations
* Trex Company is a proud member of The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders from every sector of the building industry.
* Works to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated
* Goal: to create an environmentally and socially responsible environment that improves the quality of life
* Trex has been included in national environmental projects such as:
* the BASF Near Zero Energy Home in Paterson, NJ
* the Solar Decathlon, a collegiate green building competition
* the National Building Museum’s “The Green House” exhibit in Washington, D.C.
* Maui Wildlife Refuge Complex, Kealia Pond NWR in Hawaii
* Point Defiance Zoo, Theater and Kids Zone in Tacoma, WA
“Directly quoted from Trex website” www.Trex.com
Now I think this product is great and it along with many similar products would not exist if we did not have these plastic products. So I don’t think we should ban water bottles. We need to just more conscious of recycling these plastic products.
I have personally been to the Trex plant in Nevada and have seen the garbage that is unloaded on a daily basis. Believe me it is straight garbage but it is a beautiful product when it comes out the other end.
The plastic and wood is ground into fine pieces, then heated and blended in a huge hopper. When it reaches the proper consistency it is pushed through a die similar to a pasta press to make the shape. As it passes through the die it immediately goes into a trough of water to cool.
Plastic products have a place and a purpose. So I don’t think we should ban water bottles and plastic bags. I think we should all recycle more and buy products like Trex that do a good job with recycling. Please leave a comment and tell the other reader what you think.
