Trex highlights circularity advances in 2024 sustainability report

Trex Co. Inc., a Winchester, Virginia-based manufacturer of decking and railing products made with recycled content, has released its 2024 sustainability report, detailing its continued pursuit of materials circularity, environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

“I am proud of how Trex has seamlessly integrated sustainability into our business—not as an add-on, but as a core strategy,” Trex President and CEO Bryan Fairbanks says. “Our sustainability program is built into our distinctive brand, enhances resilience and drives stronger returns for our shareholders. This makes sustainability a win-win for both our business and society at large.”

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Trex says key points of its sustainability report include:

• Commitment to circularity: Last year, Trex says it sourced more than 1 billion pounds of reclaimed polyethylene (PE) film and wood scrap, including 377 pounds of plastic scrap—an increase from 844 million pounds in 2023.
• Products: The company says its decking and railing products are designed for durability, aesthetic appeal and long-lasting performance, with limited warranties of up to 50 years. Its Enhance deck boards, built and priced to directly compete with wood, come with a 25-year warranty. The extended longevity reduces the need for replacements, lowering the environmental impact.
• Efficiency in manufacturing: Trex reports it maximized resource efficiency by recycling nearly 100 percent of its production scrap. It also recycled 31 percent of its general scrap that would otherwise have gone to landfill.
• Creating opportunity for employees: Trex expanded its learning and development programs and increased employee engagement, providing more than 62,000 hours of training in 2024.
• External recognition: The company was recognized as a Green Builder Sustainable Brand Leader, included in Barron’s 2024 list of Top Sustainable Companies and received the Greater Good Award for Large Business of the Year from the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber.

The company says the report also outlines forward-looking initiatives, including expanded end-of-life product recycling pilots and new sourcing strategies to build resilience amid growing demand for recycled materials.

For example, in 2024 the company partnered with a Texas-based distributor to consolidate and return scrap to its Virginia facility. Additionally, a pilot program in Illinois expected to launch this year is designed to make it easier for homeowners and contractors to return cutoffs and construction scrap for recycling. Trex says it also is working with its merchandising and distribution partners to recover film scrap from their operations.

Through Trex’s NexTrex recycling program, it partners with businesses that produce large amounts of plastic film scrap, such as stretch film, shrink wrap, pallet wrap and plastic bags, to collect and recycle PE. Many of its commercial partners, including grocery stores and retailers, also serve as drop-off locations for postconsumer PE.

By 2024, the company says the NexTrex network had grown to include more than 10,000 retail stores across the United States. Through its network, which spans postcommercial, postretail and postconsumer sources, Trex says it sourced more than 377 million pounds of PE last year, up from 328 in 2023.

Trex notes that its range of products includes composite and aluminum railing kits and systems, and it has increased the recycled content of aluminum and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) used in its railing products. In 2024, the company reports it increased the recycled content of its aluminum railing components to an average of 78 percent compared to about 40 percent in 2023. It also used 682,000 pounds of PVC—including recycled content—in 2024.

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An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).

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SENNEBOGEN 340G telehandler improves the view in Macon County, NC

An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).

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SENNEBOGEN 340G telehandler improves the view in Macon County, NC

An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).

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An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).

“Sustainability has always been integral to who we are,” says Amy Fernandez, senior vice president, chief legal officer and chief sustainability officer of Trex. “Our 2024 report reflects our unwavering commitment to responsible growth, innovation and continuous improvement.”