Trex and SpartanNash ‘Ramp Up’ Earth Day for Disabled Veterans

In honor of Earth Day 2024, food solutions company SpartanNash joined forces with Trex to transform recycled plastic grocery bags from its stores into accessible home ramps for five U.S. veterans with disabilities in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Part of SpartanNash’s “Planet vs. Plastics” initiative, this inspiring collaboration exemplifies the full-circle potential of recycling when like-minded people and organizations come together to give back.

To help connect the dots in this bags-to-boards journey, SpartanNash is one of our dedicated NexTrex® recycling partners, which means they actively promote and collect recycled plastic bags and film at SpartanNash-operated stores – including Family Fare, D&W Fresh Market, Forest Hills Foods and others. The collected plastic is then sent to Trex to be upcycled into our eco-friendly composite decking, made from up to 95% recycled and reclaimed content including a mix of polyethylene plastic film and industrial wood waste/sawdust. 

Giving New Life to Plastic Waste

Nearly all of the recycled plastic film used in Trex decking comes from post-consumer sources – ranging from plastic grocery bags, sandwich bags and the overwrap on paper towels to dry cleaner bags, newspaper sleeves, cereal box liners and stretch film used to wrap products and pallets. Grocery stores and other retailers are among our largest sources of this core ingredient for Trex. In fact, Trex partners with approximately 32,000 stores nationwide to provide consumers with a way to responsibly dispose of plastic waste not typically accepted by standard recycling programs.

"Flexible plastics and films must be handled differently from other types of plastic,” explained Dave Heglas, Trex Company’s Senior Director of Supply Chain Excellence. “Due to their stretchy nature, they cannot be recycled through standard curbside or single-stream recycling programs because they can jam machinery during the sorting process, causing mechanical issues, delays and contamination. These plastics need to be separated from other recyclables and processed through recycling programs like NexTrex that are specially designed to process these types of materials.”

“With the help of dedicated retail partners, like SpartanNash, we are able to divert millions of pounds of plastic waste from landfills each year,” Heglas added. Over the past three decades, Trex has upcycled in excess of 5 billion (with a B!) pounds of plastic waste into beautiful and sustainable Trex decking. 

From Recycling to Ramps

Engineered to outperform and outlast wood, Trex decking is a high-performance, low-maintenance material that won’t warp, crack, split or splinter and never needs to be stained, sealed or refinished, making it an ideal choice for the veteran ramps built by the SpartanNash volunteers in collaboration with Home Repair Services, a local nonprofit organization that provides home repairs for those in need. Each ramp contains the equivalent of 157,500 recycled bags.

“The upcycling of plastics bags into accessible ramps for veterans is a People First program that gives our nation’s heroes the gift of mobility and the opportunity to more easily enjoy life outside of their homes,” said Adrienne Chance, Vice President of Communications for SpartanNash. “We are grateful to the associates and shoppers in our stores who recycle their plastic grocery bags so that SpartanNash can make these kinds of donations possible.”

Front-of-house plastic recycling bins are available year-round at SpartanNash-operated stores. Additionally, the company recycles 100% of the stretch film from its stores and distribution centers in Michigan and Nebraska through the NexTrex program.

“It’s cool to be part of a community that takes care of each other,” said Emily Stevenson, a SpartanNash volunteer. “A good part of community is being able to count on your neighbors, and I’m so proud to be part of an organization that takes community seriously.”

Honored by the Food Marketing Institute with its 2024 Social Impact Award, this project not only provided a practical solution to improve accessibility for veterans but also underscores Trex’s commitment to environmental stewardship – demonstrating how innovative recycling can benefit both the community and the planet. The ramps, symbols of gratitude and support for our veterans, stand as a testament to the positive impact of sustainable practices and community collaboration, embodying the true spirit of Earth Day.