On Aug. 9, Winona, Minnesota-based industrial and construction supplies distributor Fastenal announced it has entered into a scrap supply agreement with Trex Company, Inc., a manufacturer of wood-alternative composite decking, railing and other outdoor building products made from recycled materials.

Through the partnership, Fastenal said it will collect used polyethylene (PE) film in its distribution centers, branches and customer-specific Onsite locations and shipping it to Trex to use the material in the creation of its composite decking products.

PE film, or pallet wrap, is used by Fastenal and its suppliers to secure boxes and other packaging to pallets for shipment. The entire portfolio of Trex composite decking is made from 95% recycled and reclaimed materials, including a mix of PE film and industrial wood scrap.

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“Pallet wrap is vital to our daily operations, but once the product is unwrapped, we have no use for it,” said Dave Olson, Director of EHS & Sustainability for Fastenal. “Working with Trex to turn all that potential waste into sustainable outdoor building products is a win for both organizations.”

Fastenal has invested more than $300,000 in equipment and infrastructure in its United States distribution centers to efficiently bale and consolidate used PE film for recycling by Trex.

In the program’s first year, Fastenal said it expects to divert an estimated 600,000 pounds of plastic from landfills through material collected within its distribution centers, where a high volume of pallet wrap is received as part of inbound shipments from suppliers, the company said.

“Also, more than 2,500 U.S. Fastenal branches and Onsite locations can participate by using Fastenal’s regular truck routes to back-haul used material to the nearest distribution center for baling, consolidation, and shipment to Trex,” Fastenal said in a news release announcing the partnership.

Every year, Trex repurposes more than one billion pounds of reclaimed materials in the making of its products, including approximately 400 million pounds of plastic film, Fastenal said.