Students recycle 420,000 pounds of film in 2022-2023 Trex Recycling Challenge

Students from schools across the United States recycled more than 420,000 pounds of polyethylene (PE) film in the 2022-2023 Trex Recycling Challenge. The contest is hosted by Winchester, Virginia-based Trex Co. and is sponsored by Charter Next Generation (CNG), an independent producer of high-performance specialty films based in Chicago.

The annual competition challenges students at K-12 schools to collect and recycle as much PE as possible from Nov. 15 through April 22. According to a news release, more than 780 schools registered to participate for the 2022-2023 competition, which is an increase of about 100 schools from the previous year’s competition.

“Year after year, we continue to be amazed by the determination, drive and creativity of the eco-conscious students who participate in this challenge,” says Stephanie Hicks, materials sourcing manager at Trex Co. “The energy that these kids bring and the amount of plastic they are able to collect is truly astounding.”

CNG awarded a total of $59,500 to award top-ranking schools in the 2022-2023 Trex Recycling Challenge.

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Leading the way in the 2022-2023 challenge was Denbigh High School in Newport News, Virginia. The school’s Eco Club collected 28,000 pounds of recycled plastic film through classroom challenges and communitywide outreach.

CNG also awarded $2,500 to any school that placed within the competition’s top 100 recyclers that was within a 25-mile radius of a CNG facility. By the end of this year’s competition, six schools met those criteria and received awards, including York Community High School, Esko High School, Fort Island Primary Elementary School, Mansfield St. Mary’s Elementary School, Ballentine Elementary School and Bloomer High School.

The remaining funds were distributed among 13 additional schools, with $5,000 going to each elementary, middle and high school that recycled the most film in their categories; $3,000 for the respective second-place winners; and $2,500 for the respective third-place winners. In addition, schools with the most creative social media campaigns received $5,000 for first place, $3,000 for second place and $2,000 for third place. The overall champion of the competition received an additional $2,500 prize for their role in the competition. Additionally, the Top 25 Tournament winner received a $500 check for its campus.

This competition marked the 16th year of the Trex Recycling Challenge, which educates students on the importance of recycling.

“By combining our efforts, Trex and CNG were able to bring the competition to more schools and recycle more material than in years past, which is directly in line with our commitment to being a sustainability leader in the industry,” Charter Next Generation CEO Kathy Bolhous says.