TOS Has A New Program Allowing You To Recycle Plastic Bags

Town of Smithtown Teams with Trex® to Turn Household Plastics into Sustainable Decking

Smithtown, N.Y. –  Residents can now recycle plastic bags, packaging and film at the Municipal Services Facility, located at 85 Old Northport Road in Kings Park. The Town of Smithtown has joined forces with Trex Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of high-performance, wood-alternative decking and railing, so that residents can upcycle discarded household plastics. The materials are used to create beautiful, durable and sustainable outdoor living products. A public recycling hub has been added to the Municipal Services Facility in Kings Park.

The new drop-off container is a part of the NexTrex® recycling program. The nationwide material sourcing initiative for the composite decking leader manufactures decking from primarily reclaimed content. This includes a mix of industrial wood scrap/sawdust and recycled polyethylene (PE) plastic film. Each year, the company upcycles in excess of 1 billion pounds of these would-be waste materials and is one of the largest recyclers of plastic film in North America. Over the past three decades, Trex has diverted more than 5 billion pounds of discarded PE plastic from ending up in landfills.

Did You Know? Plastic film cannot be recycled at your curbside bins. The NexTrex program offers a simple solution for residents and local businesses to responsibly dispose of plastic bags, shipping wrap and other plastic film waste. 

The NexTrex Grassroots Movement provides partnership opportunities for municipalities, non-profit organizations, and small businesses to establish their own collection sites. Trex works with partners across the country to recycle post-consumer, commercial and industrial plastic film via public collection and warehouse collection programs. Materials are sent to local collection sites where they are baled and shipped to the company’s manufacturing facilities in Virginia and Nevada to be upcycled into durable, beautiful, and eco-friendly composite decking and outdoor living products.

“With the NexTrex program, you know exactly where your recycled plastics are going and how they will be used. The best part is, participating is easy. Simply separate plastic film items from other recyclables and drop them off at our MSF collection site. We’ll work with Trex to do the rest.” - Mike Englemann, Town of Smithtown Solid Waste Coordinator 

Community members are encouraged to drop off discarded plastic film at the new MSF collection hub. Common items that can be recycled by Trex include:

• Grocery and retail bags

• Bread bags

• Case overwraps

• Dry cleaning bags

• Newspaper sleeves

• Ice bags

• Ziploc and other reclose-able bags

• Produce bags

• Bubble wrap

• Salt bags

• Cereal and cracker box liners

• Wood pellet bags

Tips for recycling plastic film: 

• If it stretches, it qualifies. 

• Look for the #2 or #4 recycling symbols to indicate polyethylene films.

• Make sure materials are clean, dry and free from contamination. 

“Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for people to recycle their household plastics by expanding our network of partners and increasing accessibility,” said Stephanie Hicks, materials and recycling programs manager for Trex Company. “The new recycling hub at Smithtown MSF is not only conveniently located, but affords access so that eco-minded residents from Smithtown can recycle at a day and time that works for them.”

To learn more about the NexTrex program, go to NexTrex.com. For more information about Trex, visit Trex.com.

About Trex Company, Inc.

For more than 30 years, Trex Company [NYSE: TREX] has invented, reinvented and defined the composite decking category. Today, the company is the world’s #1 brand of sustainably made, wood-alternative decking and deck railing, and a leader in high performance, low-maintenance outdoor living products. The undisputed global leader, Trex boasts the industry’s strongest distribution network with products sold through more than 6,700 retail outlets across six continents. Through strategic licensing agreements, the company offers a comprehensive outdoor living portfolio that includes deck drainage, flashing tapes, LED lighting, outdoor kitchen components, pergolas, spiral stairs, fencing, lattice, cornhole and outdoor furniture – all marketed under the Trex® brand. Based in Winchester, Va., Trex is proud to have been named America’s Most Trusted® Outdoor Decking 4 Years in a Row (2021-2024), as well as one ofAmerica’s Most Responsible Companies 2024 by Newsweek, and one of the 100 Best ESG Companies for 2023 by Investor’s Business Daily. For more information, visit Trex.com. You may also follow Trex on Facebook (trexcompany), Instagram (trexcompany), X (Trex_Company), LinkedIn (trex-company), TikTok (trexcompany), Pinterest (trexcompany) and Houzz (trex-company-inc), or view product and demonstration videos on the brand’s YouTube channel (TheTrexCo).