What is co-extrusion with regrind in vinyl fencing?

Co-extrusion with regrind in vinyl fencing refers to a manufacturing process in which recycled plastic, known as regrind, is mixed with virgin vinyl resin and extruded through a die to create the fencing profiles. This process allows manufacturers to use a portion of recycled materials while still maintaining the structural integrity and durability of the fence. The resulting fence is often indistinguishable from one made entirely of virgin vinyl, but has a smaller environmental impact due to the use of recycled materials.

Some manufacturers purchase recycled plastics (regrind) for use in the substrate of their extruded profiles, mainly to reduce costs. The manufacturer may try to establish standards in terms of the previous uses or the quality of this outsourced regrind (as the quality may compromise the quality of the finished fence profile produced). However, it is very difficult to control or verify the source of the regrind purchased, as they cannot determine how many times the material was already reprocessed (which is important, as multiple processing can result in a more brittle, inferior product), nor can they be sure what the exact chemical composition of the waste product was so as to extrude it properly.