May 5, 2021
Did you know that LCWA client Trex Company’s world-famous composite decking is made from 95% recycled materials? To amplify the company’s “green” story in conjunction with Earth Day (April 22, 2021), we pitched key media with the goal of pointing eco-minded consumers in the right direction for turning their trash into treasure in the form of Trex decking. We found success in our pitch strategy by offering media a turnkey Earth Day package, including Trex stats and facts, along with educational images and videos. We also provided local angles to consider and offered interviews with corporate and local Trex spokespeople.
Our proactive outreach resulted in a number of media placements, including a broadcast TV segment with CBS Dallas-Ft. Worth (KTVT-TV). The two-minute feature aired on the station’s 6 p.m. newscast on Earth Day and focused on the NexTrex recycling program as a way to responsibly dispose of plastic bags and film. The segment featured an interview with Dave Heglas, senior director of materials management for Trex, who discussed Trex’s green values and noted the types of plastic materials that can be recycled into Trex decking.
For a local angle, we coordinated an on-site b-roll shoot at a local participating NexTrex retail recycling location, where residents can dispose of their plastic waste. Additionally, we shipped Trex decking samples to the producer to show on camera and visually bring the story full circle from recycling to finished product.
The CBS segment can be viewed on the station’s website, here. Other high-profile coverage garnered for Trex on Earth Day included The Detroit News, which featured a list of accepted plastics for recycling into Trex composite decking and linked to a list of participating retail locations.
Bonus Trex “Green” Fun Facts:
- Trex uses more than 1.5 billion plastic bags each year to make its eco-friendly outdoor living products.
- Trex has never cut down a single tree to make its products.
- An average 500-square-foot composite Trex deck may contain approximately 140,000 recycled plastic bags.
- A standard 16-foot Trex composite deck board contains recycled material from approximately 2,250 plastic bags.
LCWA looks forward to continuing to grow awareness of Trex’s green story, sustainable values, and recycling programs as we work with the company to celebrate Earth Day, every day!