Vigilancia tecnológica

We've written a few stories about expansions at Trex Co. Inc., the composite decking maker that has seen sales soar as Americans invested in home improvements during the pandemic.

Trex happily points to its sustainability story, noting that its decking is made from recycled materials — polyethylene film and wood flour.

It turns out that even the expansion of its plants has a plastics sustainability angle. For the $200 million expansion in Winchester, Va., contractor Perry Engineering placed high density PE pads called FODS Trackout Control mats at the site entrance and exit.

"The mats effectively remove sediment from vehicle tires, keeping debris contained on the job site," officials for the Englewood, Colo.-based firm said in a blog on the company website. "Installed for use in both dry and wet conditions, [the mats'] pyramid-studded design ... release sediment trapped in tire treads."

The mats, made with recycled plastic content, are a replacement for single-use materials such as plywood or stone and can be reused at the next building site.