Since 1996 Trex has invented, defined and perfected the composite deck category, becoming the world’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking products. Never content to settle, the company continues to make strides in outdoor engineering, melding innovation with environmental responsibility and beautiful form with powerful function.
Made in the U.S.A. from up to 95% recycled and reclaimed materials, Trex composite decking offers a sustainable and low-maintenance alternative to traditional wood decking. Thanks to a proprietary, high-performance shell, Trex decking resists scratches and stains, and won’t rot, warp or splinter, like wood. And upkeep is hassle free. No stripping, sanding, staining or sealing is ever needed, nor any harsh chemicals. Just an occasional cleaning with soap and water is all it takes to keep a Trex decking looking like new.
Warrantied for 25 to 50 years (depending on the product), Trex decking significantly outlasts wood decking adding to its long-lasting sustainability.
The story of Trex Company is one of entrepreneurial vision – where sustainability meets ingenuity, and a single idea has the power to reshape an entire industry. In the late 1980s, amid a climate of growing environmental concerns, one man saw potential where others saw only waste. His innovative solution for repurposing piles of discarded plastic bags sparked the beginnings of a company that would grow to manufacture the world’s premier wood-alternative decking.
With a background in organic chemistry, Philadelphia-based businessman Roger Wittenberg possessed the unique ability to dissect materials down to their core components and envision new, marketable uses. While he wasn’t necessarily an environmentalist, he believed in recycling as a way to drive both innovation and profit.
Following a string of inventive business ventures based on repurposing used items, Wittenberg launched a company that supplied breadcrumbs to high-profile brands like Progresso. Every day, he ground up tractor loads of surplus bread, leaving behind mounds of plastic bags that had once contained the loaves. Never one to overlook an opportunity, Wittenberg followed his scientific curiosity – shredding the leftover plastic, mixing in some sawdust and applying heat. The result? A sturdy, moldable material that resisted rot, splitting, and even termites. This innovation laid the groundwork for Trex decking and for what has grown into a billion dollar business.
Trex composite decking offers a truly environmentally responsible choice for today’s increasingly eco-conscious consumers. The entire line-up of high-performance Trex decking is sustainably made with up to 95% recycled materials, including reclaimed wood fiber and recycled polyethylene (PE) plastic from commercial packaging and common household items, such as shopping bags, case overwraps, sandwich bags, newspaper sleeves and flexible shipping pouches. Each year, the company saves more than 1 billion pounds of these materials from winding up in landfills, and 100% of factory scrap is recycled back into the manufacturing process.
One of the largest recyclers of plastic film in North America, Trex diverts hundreds of millions of pounds of PE film, bags and wrap from landfills each year. In 2023, the company used more than 320 million pounds of PE waste film in the making of its decking. Since its inception, the company has upcycled in excess of five billion pounds of plastic waste.
Trex gets plastic film from a variety of commercial and post-consumer sources. The company partners with major retailers, manufacturers and distribution centers across the country to help them responsibly dispose of discarded plastic material used in packaging and shipping. It also collects post-consumer plastic film through its NexTrex® program which includes a network of approximately 32,000 grocery stores and retail locations across the U.S. and Canada that serve as consumer-facing drop-off points.
Trex also runs school and community recycling initiatives designed to spread awareness of the importance of recycling plastic bags and film while engaging people in grassroots collection and recycling. Organizations involved in the programs collect waste polyethylene packaging and drop it off at the many local collection points Trex has established across the country. Since the start of these programs in 2011, more than 3.5 million pounds of plastic waste have been collected through community initiatives and recycled into beautiful, durable and sustainable Trex decking and outdoor living products.
At Trex, sustainability is not just a buzzword – it’s a founding principle of the company and a core value that it lives and breathes every day. Even as Trex’s business expands, the company remains focused on reducing its environmental impact to create positive change in the world.
