CHARTER NEXT GENERATION AND TREX COMPANY ANNOUNCE THE NATION’S TOP RECYCLING SCHOOLS FROM ANNUAL PLASTIC FILM CHALLENGE
Leading Film Producer and Composite Decking Leader Reward Students for Recycling
Milton, WI (April 25, 2022) – For eco-conscious students across the country, it pays to be “green” – this year more than ever! Charter Next Generation (CNG), one of the leading providers of specialty polyethylene films in North America, recently partnered with Trex Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of high-performance, low-maintenance composite decking and outdoor living products, to promote the 15th annual Trex® Plastic Film Recycling Challenge and is pleased to announce and reward the winners.
This year’s annual nationwide challenge kicked off on America Recycles Day (11/15/21) and concluded last week on Earth Day (4/22/22). Over the course of the last five months, students in grades K-12 worked together to collect and recycle the most polyethylene plastic film for the chance to win high-performance Trex products to beautify their campuses. For the first time ever, students involved in the latest challenge also competed for the chance to win cash prizes for their schools, thanks to Charter Next Generation‘s (CNG) corporate sponsorship.
“For the past 15 years, the Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge has provided thousands of students a hands-on opportunity to make a difference in their communities and schools by learning the value of recycling,” said Stephanie Hicks, materials sourcing manager for Trex Company. “Paired with CNG’s generous corporate sponsorship, we continue to broaden adoption of our easy-to-implement annual recycling program among schools and in turn, increase the overall amount of plastic film material upcycled into Trex’s world-famous composite decking.”
Started in 2007, the Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge was conceived to educate students about upcycling and actively engage them in the recycling of plastic film, a key ingredient in the company’s low-maintenance and eco-friendly composite decking, which is made from 95% recycled and reclaimed materials. Students from 686 schools participated in the 2021-2022 challenge. Together, they collected a combined total of 323,586 pounds of polyethylene plastic film, contributing to the nearly 400 million pounds of plastic film that Trex diverts from landfills annually.
Trex awards prizes to the top recyclers based on grade level, school size, and region. Fifty-seven (57) regional winners were recognized this year, representing schools from across the country. Coming out on top in the 2021-2022 challenge was Moscow Charter School, located in Moscow, Idaho, where students collected a whopping 7,735 pounds of recycled plastic film through classroom challenges and community-wide outreach.
New to this year’s program, CNG’s sponsorship funds further incentivized the overall first and second place elementary, middle, and high schools that recycled the most polyethylene plastic film during the collection period. CNG is proud to present $5,000 each to the top recyclers at Moscow Charter School, E.L. Wright Middle School in Columbia, S.C., and North Cross High School in Roanoke, Va. Prizes of $2,500 each go to the second-place winners at each level, including Woodland Elementary School in Monroe Township, N.J., Einstein Middle School in Appleton, Wis., and York Community High School in Elmhurst, Ill.
Additionally, a special award of $2,500 goes to the students at Maple Grove Elementary School in Greenfield, Wis., in recognition of their creativity and impressive activity on social media. Through teamwork, grassroots community outreach, and outstanding use of social media, this school educated and engaged its community to get involved in the recycling program and generated a steady stream of images, videos, and posts using the #TrexRecyclingChallenge and #Recycle2Win hashtags. In addition to the cash prizes, CNG developed and managed a landing page, Recycle2Win.com, which showcased a leaderboard, social media activity, and competition news.
Along with the 7 grand prize winners, CNG elected to host a supplemental competition throughout March to amplify the challenge in its final full month. “Recycle Madness” encouraged students and parents to share a specific How2Recycle® label to their social media pages for even more cash. The top 3 schools, calculated through a point system, won $2,022 for their recycling efforts, and the number 1 winner of Recycle Madness was also awarded a school-wide pizza party on CNG’s behalf. In first place, Rye High School from Rye, NY, did an incredible job sharing their labels and educating their community along the way. Grafton Bethel Elementary School in Yorktown, VA, and Chaparral Elementary in Phoenix, AZ took home the remaining prizes. All ten schools enjoyed exhibiting their hard work by flaunting giant checks granted by CNG during a nationwide live virtual award ceremony held on Earth Day.
“CNG has been thrilled with the energy, engagement, and excitement students brought to this year’s competition and wants to thank every school around the country for their participation. We also want to thank Trex for the opportunity to partner on this year’s competition and hope to build on what was started this year, for years to come,” said Kathy Bolhous, chief executive officer of Charter Next Generation.
As one of the leading providers of specialty polyethylene films to the North American market, CNG has a high focus on diverting plastic film from landfills by developing materials that are readily recyclable and actively promoting the importance of recycling. The company is a long-time participant in the NexTrex™ Recycling Program and worked closely with Trex on its GreenArrow™ platform of sustainable films for flexible packaging to ensure their suitability for the Trex recycling stream.
One of the largest recyclers of plastic film in North America, Trex produces its decking using 95% recycled and reclaimed materials, including a mix of wood scrap and polyethylene plastic film ranging from a variety of common household items such as grocery bags, newspaper sleeves, and bubble wrap, to retail plastic waste including pallet wrap and industrial packaging. Each year, Trex manufacturing diverts nearly 400 million pounds of plastic waste otherwise destined for incineration or landfills. Designed to last – without leaving a lasting impact on the environment – Trex decking incorporates this recycled plastic to offer a superior alternative to wood that requires minimal maintenance, lasts for decades, and creates an eco-friendly decking option for homeowners.
The 16th Annual Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge will kick off on November 15, 2022. Interested schools can sign up by completing a brief form on Recycle.Trex.com. Once enrolled, Trex makes participation easy by supplying each school with a turnkey toolkit, including detailed instructions, promotional materials, recycling bins, and a list of qualifying recyclable materials. Schools can also leverage the easy-to-navigate Trex recycling website that features engaging content and educational resources.
For more information about the Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge, visit Recycle.Trex.com.
About Charter Next Generation
Charter Next Generation is North America’s leading independent producer of high-performance, specialty films used in flexible packaging and other end-use markets. Known for sustainable, innovative products and world-class manufacturing capabilities, the company’s quality and expertise are unsurpassed. Its sustainability first mindset, and relentless pursuit of excellence, make it an ideal partner to help brand owners reach their long-term sustainability goals. Visit Charter Next Generation at: https://cnginc.com. You can also follow Charter Next Generation on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/charternextgeneration), Twitter (@CharterNextGen), Instagram (@charternextgeneration), or “like” CNG on Facebook (@CharterNextGeneration).
About Trex Company, Inc.
Trex Company, Inc. [NYSE: TREX] is the world’s largest manufacturer of high-performance wood-alternative decking and railing, with nearly 30 years of product experience. The #1 brand in outdoor living is proud to have been named to Forbes’ 2021 List of America’s Best Mid-Size Companies and to Fortune magazine’s 2020 list of the world’s 100 Fastest-Growing Companies. Stocked in more than 6,700 retail locations worldwide, Trex outdoor living products offer a wide range of style options with fewer ongoing maintenance requirements than wood, as well as a truly environmentally responsible choice. For more information, visit trex.com. You can also follow Trex on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/trex-company/), Twitter (@Trex_Company), Instagram (@trexcompany), Pinterest (trexcompany) or Houzz (trexcompany-inc), “like” Trex on Facebook (@TrexCompany) or view product and demonstration videos on the brand’s YouTube channel (TheTrexCo).
Media Contacts:
Charter Next Generation
Apurva Shah, Senior Marketing Manager, Apurva.Shah@cnginc.com
Bill Singer, Director of Marketing, Branding, Bill.Singer@cnginc.com