Unexpected ways that technology can transform the scrap plastic business

One of the reasons we wanted to get into the scrap plastic trading business is that we saw a lot of opportunity to do things differently using technology. We see BlackBridge Investments as being a company that is based on innovation and making smart use of technology to improve our operations, create new efficiencies, and ultimately be of service to the broader scrap plastic industry by helping create some new, unique technology applications that are specific to our industry.

BlackBridge is working on a set of proprietary tools that will help our customers be more profitable. We are currently developing a tool that helps manage our freight and direct the daily operations of our overall business. Eventually, we want to be able to license this software to other customers and other people in the scrap plastic industry who are willing to pay for a good solution that was developed specifically for our industry.

Here are a few reasons why technology can transform the scrap plastic business:

• Technology is still underutilized in the scrap plastic industry: There are many people in our industry who are still using pencil and paper to track orders, and using paper filing systems to manage documentation. We believe that our industry is dynamic and fast-moving – and to keep track of all the relevant details on every single scrap plastic trade, we need to use technology to make things easier, more efficient and more profitable.

• We need more industry-specific technology: We have seen other systems that are available on the market, and while they have some advantages, we believe that we can build our own technology solutions that will be better suited to what our industry needs. No one understands the scrap plastic industry better than scrap plastic traders – so we decided to embrace the startup concept of “do it yourself” and create scrap plastic technology apps that deliver exactly what we need for our business – no more and no less.

• Save money on freight: One of our ideas is to create a tool that allows companies to bid out freight and make sure that they always get the best rates available. Freight can be a major cost of every scrap plastic trade, so if companies can find a way to minimize and manage their freight costs, that can turn into a competitive advantage to increase profitability. Just as we constantly watch the prices of scrap plastic to look for advantageous times to make trades, we can develop technology that can manage the price fluctuations in freight costs.

We hope to be able to announce more details soon once these new technology apps are available for possible licensing. Anyone who is interested to learn more can contact us at sales@blackbridgeinvestments.com

What are some opportunities that you see for technology to improve operations in the scrap plastic industry? Are there any apps that you use for your smartphone or tablet that have helped improve your business?