[OKRA] Large polyethylene recycling and composite lumber production campus coming to Arkansas

[Ellen Bussert]

[image: image.png]
Great news for Oklahoma and Arkansas.  This news PE recycling plant should
open up opportunities to recycle more plastic film.  Kudos to the people in
Arkansas who made it happen.





[image: logo] <https://resource-recycling.com/plastics>


Trex to spend $400 million on third PE recycling plant
<https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2021/10/27/trex-to-spend-400-million-on-third-pe-recycling-plant/>
Published: October 27, 2021
Updated: October 27, 2021
by Jared Paben <https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/author/jared-paben/>
[image: Closeup of Trex composite flooring installed in a restaurant.]

*Trex will invest $400 million over five years in a recycling and
production site at the Port of Little Rock.* | *Courtesy of Trex*

Already the largest scrap film recycler in the U.S., Trex is set to build a
large polyethylene recycling and composite lumber production campus in
Little Rock, Ark.

The Winchester, Va.-based company, which recycles PE film and wood powder
into composite lumber, on Oct. 26 announced
<https://trexcompanyinc.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/trex-company-announces-plans-third-us-production-site>
it
will invest $400 million over five years in a recycling and production site
at the Port of Little Rock. The complex will sit on nearly 300 acres and
include buildings for decking and railing production, film recycling,
reclaimer wood storage, warehousing and administration offices.

“The campus will substantially expand output and will have the potential to
be the company’s largest manufacturing facility,” according to the release
from Trex, which has plants in Winchester and Fernley, Nev.

Two years ago, Trex announced
<https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2019/07/17/major-user-of-recycled-film-says-it-will-be-buying-more/>
a
$200 million project to expand capacity at its Virginia and Nevada plants
by about 70%. That additional production capacity is now all on-line
<https://www.trex.com/our-company/news/trex-celebrates-m-capacity-expansion-milestone/>,
company President and CEO Bryan Fairbanks told Plastics Recycling Update in a
recent interview
<https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2021/09/29/trex-ceo-recycled-plastic-demand-will-stay-strong/>.
He noted that Trex processed 362 million pounds of scrap plastic in 2020.

In the latest announcement, the publicly traded company said it was
attracted to Little Rock for its third plant for several reasons, including
proximity to raw materials, the pool of qualified and skilled labor, and
proximity to growth regions for wood conversion.

The location is also adjacent to major transportation hubs
<https://www.portoflittlerock.com/about/>, which will reduce freight costs
when shipping products to customers in the middle of the country.

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette newspaper reported
<https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/oct/26/little-rock-port-authority-approves-land-sale-new-/>
that
the Trex complex will result in increased railcar activity at the port. The
Little Rock Port Authority recently finalized the sale of 290 acres to Trex
this week. The deal took well over a year to put together, the paper
reported.

The release notes that construction is slated to begin in early 2022, with
production expected to begin in 2024.
*More stories about film*

   - APR rolls out revised film recyclability guidance
   <https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2021/10/20/apr-rolls-out-revised-film-recyclability-guidance/>
   - Reclaimer launches next stage of facility buildout
   <https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2021/10/13/reclaimer-launches-next-stage-of-facility-buildout/>
   - Trex CEO: Recycled plastic demand will stay strong
   <https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2021/09/29/trex-ceo-recycled-plastic-demand-will-stay-strong/>
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