Petaluma, Calif., February 11, 2011 – Advanced Flexible Materials (AFM) will partner with Trex Company to launch the Heatsheets® Blankets-to-Boards recycling program at Running USA 2011: The Industry Conference held Feb. 13-15 in San Antonio, Texas.

“This cooperative effort marks another major step in AFM’s ongoing effort to provide race participants with a turnkey solution for recycling and repurposing Heatsheets® thermal-reflective blankets after the finish line,” said David Deigan, founder, president and CEO of AFM “We are grateful to have the access and the live venue provided by this year’s Running USA conference to promote this important launch, and we are particularly grateful to have found a recycling partner in Trex.”

AFM provides reflective insulation technologies for an extensive range of uses, from hypothermia solutions for event finish lines and aid stations to outdoor recreation applications ranging from emergency and survival products to protective coverings and shelters.

Trex, the nation’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking and railing products, collects, salvages and repurposes plastic, wood scrap and sawdust, and turns it all into low-maintenance outdoor living products that stand up to the test of time. In fact, the average 500-square-foot composite Trex deck contains about 140,000 recycled plastic bags. The company will now accept Heatsheets® directly into its supply chain, primarily through collection at local grocery and department stores.
“We are proud to contribute to a cleaner environment and a healthier future for our consumers and communities – and our partnership with AFM provides an additional opportunity to transform recyclable materials into beautiful, durable outdoor living products,” said Amanda Harrington, materials resources coordinator for Trex. “Using sustainable resources and green manufacturing processes is a policy that touches everything we do.”

The alliance with Trex is the next logical step in a process that began with AFM’s shift away from non-recyclable metallized mylar to recyclable metallized polyethylene films in 2005, and continued with pilot programs and recycling guidelines in 2008 and 2009.

“Our collaboration with Trex makes it possible for nearly all Heatsheets® recovered by our event customers – from the largest to the smallest – to now be repurposed into wood-alternative lumber products right here in the U.S. in a manner that will reduce landfill use and save trees,” said Wil Turner, project manager for AFM. “We look forward to educating race participants about Blankets-to-Boards and to working with Trex on this environmentally-friendly initiative.”