“An incredible team building exercise,” said Tracy Burge
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland High School (LHS) students have earned the title of a national winner of the 10th annual Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge, a program designed to help educate students about the importance of recycling.
“The Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge is not only an engaging way to teach the importance of recycling, but it also serves as an incredible team building exercise,” said Tracy Burge, LHS environmental science teacher. “Our students worked together and with the community to recycle as much plastic as possible, and we are so thrilled that they demonstrated such strong leadership in this effort to save the planet!”
To capture this year’s top honors, LHS students recycled more than 950 pounds of polyethylene plastic. In recognition of their outstanding efforts, Trex Company, presented the students with a new Trex bench for use at their school, as well as a picture frame made from Trex composite materials to showcase their winner certificate.
“We want the Tiger Family to know that now and in the following years we will recycle all flat plastic in room 283 at the high school,” said Burge. “Next year we will have bins outside at the schools. This contest goes on every year, and our goal is to repeat this success.”
The Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge pits K-12 schools across the country against one another in a fun, friendly competition to collect and recycle the most plastic bags and other types of polyethylene materials for the chance to win Trex products for their schools. Instead of going into landfills, that plastic waste will be converted into beautiful Trex composite decking.
“Offering a rewarding, hands-on school project, the Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge provides students with a better understanding and appreciation for sustainable practices,” said Stephanie Hicks, material resource coordinator for Trex. “After a decade, the program is still growing – with a record number of schools competing this year – and continues to educate tens of thousands of students about environmental responsibility.”
One of the largest recyclers of plastic in the U.S., Trex uses more than 1.5 billion plastic bags to make its eco-friendly, wood-alternative outdoor living products each year. A standard 16-foot Trex board contains recycled material from approximately 2,250 plastic bags. In addition to plastic grocery and retail bags, Trex reuses polyethylene plastic from a variety of common household items – such as case overwraps, bread bags, bubble wrap, newspaper sleeves and dry cleaning bags – to create composite products that offer a superior alternative to wood and an environmentally responsible choice to consumers.
For more information about the Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge, visit Trex.com/Recycling.
