Finding a new meaning of innovation in today’s plastic scrap industry

BlackBridge Investments was founded with the goal of “changing the game” and “bridging the gap” in the plastic recycling trade. We saw big opportunities in our industry to do things differently by embracing new technologies and being driven by a spirit of innovation.

Right now our company is in the midst of a big, ambitious project that we think is going to be a game-changer for how BlackBridge Investments executes trades and serves our customers. We are building a unique proprietary system from scratch to manage not only the buying and selling of scrap plastic but also give additional day-to-day support for the art and craft of being a successful scrap plastic trader, partner, and business manager.

We looked at all the existing software on the market for the scrap plastic industry, and although there are a lot of good products out there, we weren’t satisfied. Our goal for this new system is to “out-innovate” ourselves – we want to disrupt our own business model before someone else disrupts it for us.

Here are a few reasons why, with our new system that is being developed, we are trying to bring a new spirit of innovation to the plastic scrap recycling business:

• Accurate document storage: With every scrap plastic transaction, there are so many critical documents with critical data that need to be stored in the perfect way. If your trading partners need a purchase order, an invoice, scale tickets, loading photos or any other documentation, you need to be able to quickly access and deliver those documents. One of the challenges of our industry is there are still a lot of plastic scrap traders and brokers who are using pen-and-paper and outmoded tracking systems. Better online document storage might not sound exciting, but it lays the groundwork for a better-run business that makes life easier for both sides of every plastic scrap trade.

• Better tracking: In our system we also will track how much of each type of material was purchased and sold. This will enable us to view and analyze trends as they develop over time. Our expectation is that by using technology to give us a better window on the market, we will be able to develop more reliable sourcing of materials and anticipate customer needs before the urgent deadlines arise.

• Building trust and strengthening relationships: We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – the scrap plastic recycling business is ultimately not about commodities and shipping, it’s about relationships. You’ve got to be able to trust your partners and feel confident in their ability to deliver on their promises. We believe that our new system will help us be more responsive, efficient, effective and on top of all the details. This in turn will help us serve more customers and execute more trades, more quickly, more profitably for both sides.

This is a truly exciting time for the plastic scrap industry, and we believe that by embracing new technologies and undertaking a spirit of innovation, many scrap plastic traders can transform the way they do business.