Hilex Poly to double recycling capacity at its North Vernon, Indiana, plant; says it has placed over 30,000 recycling bins in grocery stores nationwide since beginning of its Bag-2-Bag program

Graziela Medina Shepnick

HARTSVILLE, South Carolina , June 23, 2009 (press release) – Hilex Poly, the leading manufacturer of plastic bag and film products and the operator of the world's largest plastic bag recycling facility, announced today its plan to double recycling capacity at its North Vernon, Indiana facility.

Hilex broke ground for the recycling plant in the fourth quarter of 2004, and simultaneously initiated the revolutionary Bag-2-Bag(R) closed loop recycling program. In partnership with retail and grocery stores, Hilex provided an avenue for consumers to return used plastic bags and other household film waste for recycling through at-store collection bins. Stores across the nation collect this recyclable material and use reverse distribution innovations to economically move the bags back to distribution centers where they are baled and then shipped back to Indiana for processing. Once the bales of plastic arrive, they are shredded washed and compounded into recycled polyethylene pellets. Those post consumer pellets are part of Hilex's reinvention of an existing manufacturing process allowing old bags to be reused to make new bags - thus Bag-2-Bag.

"As Hilex focuses on developing products that utilize more recycled content, we ask the public to continue to reuse their free plastic bags; recycle those that are not reused and support retailers that use recycled content bags - a proven enhanced alternative to recycled paper and virgin plastic bags," said Stan Bikulege, CEO of Hilex Poly. "Hilex is committed to work with our customers and the consumer to develop new products and processes that reduce the use of our natural resources." Mr. Bikulege also noted that this significant expansion moves Hilex Poly closer to its voluntary initiative to manufacture these sanitary, multi-use plastic bags with 40% recycled content.

Since Hilex Poly began this innovative Bag-2-Bag recycling program, the Company has surpassed a benchmark of placing 30,000 recycling bins in grocery stores across the country that help ensure more and more people have access to recycling every day.

Expanding Hilex Poly's innovative Bag-2-Bag program has paved the way for consumers not only to return used plastic bags to the grocery or other retail stores, but also an avenue to recycle other home items such as towel, tissue and bottle overwrap, newspaper bags, dry cleaning bags and other clean home polyethylene films. Hilex is actively researching adding new streams of recyclable plastics, such as industrial stretch film, into the bag manufacturing process in an effort to divert an even greater volume of plastic from the waste stream.

"The expansion of the recycling facility is a direct result of the tremendous growth of plastic bags and wraps being returned to participating retailers for recycling," commented Mark Daniels, VP of Marketing and Environmental Affairs. "We are extraordinarily proud of our environmental initiatives that enhance our sustainability efforts, while expanding jobs within our country."

About Hilex Poly Co., LLC

Hilex Poly Co., LLC (www.hilexpoly.com) is the leading manufacturer of plastic bag and film products whose products range from bagging systems to protective packaging films. As an industry leader, the company has introduced many new products and features including self opening designs and dispensing hardware. Hilex Poly has also developed a number of innovative environmental programs designed to support the growing need for a greener world. Based in Hartsville, SC, the company operates 9 strategically located manufacturing facilities across the United States.

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