Why the Plastics and Recycling Conference was Worth the Investment
Written by: Vinny Licari Recently, I went on my first business trip with BlackBridge Investments to the Plastics Recycling Conference...
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What We Learned at the 2016 Plastics Recycling Conference
Written by: Chris Goger Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of attending the 2016 Plastics Recycling Conference in New...
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How to Go From “Idea” to “Action:” Implementing Ideas in an Organization Successfully
There’s a common misconception about thoughts and ideas. Thoughts can be rapid and ephemeral – a thought is any little...
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Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Unity is defined as the state of being united or joined as a whole. Every company wants to believe that...
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Life is a grand project and you are the designer
As I mature in my work and life, I realize a few truths that have helped me shape my...
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Site Visits: The most important way to build relationships
When looking to cultivate business and build relationships in the recycling industry, it’s often very beneficial for the parties involved...
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Time Management and Productivity Boosting Tips for Recycled Plastic Trading
Using your time efficiently is crucially important in the business world – no matter what other strengths and competitive advantages...
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The Market is crashing! Breathe. It will be OK.
Our industry is going through some turbulent times. Stop…take a deep breath, it will all be OK. If you made...
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Successful Sales Process & Culture
Recently, LinkedIn wanted people to recognize some of the mentors we have had over the course of our careers. I...
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The importance of understanding your customer
One of the key principles of our business at BlackBridge Investments is that the plastic recycling trading industry is not...
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How to onboard new hires
BlackBridge took big step earlier this month when we hired our first full time employee, Vinny Licari. Vinny joined us...
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How do you set yourself apart from the competition?
When we formed BlackBridge Investments in January of 2011, we set out to do great things. Our goals for our...
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Navigating through Trucking Issues
Let’s face it, there are a lot of times in the scrap plastic trading business where things don’t go as...
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Why it pays to be responsive in scrap plastic trading
Scrap plastic trading is a time-sensitive business – every deal can get done (or fall apart) based on both counterparties’...
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Build your scrap plastic business by broadening your client base
One of the first lessons of investing or saving for retirement is to “diversify, diversify, diversify.” If you have a...
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4 simple ways to find business travel benefits and discounts
We wrote recently on the BlackBridge blog about how our Director of Business Operations, Vincent Fabrico, is our resident “road...
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Is there a silver lining in China’s Green Fence?
We wrote an article on the BlackBridge blog recently about China’s “Green Fence” of new regulatory policies related to imports...
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4 easy marketing tips for scrap plastic trading firms
Being in the scrap plastic trading industry ultimately means that we are in the sales and marketing business. Every successful...
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The surprising reason why it pays to be discreet in scrap plastic marketing
Have you seen this situation before in your scrap plastic trading business? You get an e-mail from a scrap plastic...
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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...
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Why scrap plastic trading firms need to diversify
One of the first bits of advice you get from investment advisers and financial planners is, “Diversify, diversify, diversify.” Everyone...
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The importance of travel in the scrap plastic business
Our Director of Business Operations, Vincent Fabrico, travels frequently to meet with our customers one on one, in person. Even...
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How to overcome the challenge of China’s “Green Fence” in the scrap plastic trade
China’s long economic boom has made that country a major market for scrap plastic, with many U.S. scrap plastic traders...
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3 reasons why accurate record keeping is important for every plastic scrap deal
One of the aspects of scrap plastic trading that is often overlooked – but is very important – is keeping...
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Things to look for when buying mixed plastic scrap
Buying mixed bales of scrap plastic can be a cost-effective move for some scrap plastic buyers, but it’s important to...
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4 undeniable reasons to attend the Plastics Recycling Conference 2013
We’ve written before about some of the best networking events for the plastic recycling industry, and one of the biggest...
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Let’s talk about the scrap plastic market top trends for 2013
We’ve been getting a lot of traffic here at the BlackBridge Investments blog, but we’d like to hear more from...
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3 critical things to check before doing business with a new company
The scrap plastic trading business is built on trust – each side to every transaction needs to be confident that...
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What is the best way to deal with material rejections?
When you’re in the plastic scrap recycling and trading business, material rejections are an unfortunate cost of doing business that...
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Reflections on college friendships and scrap plastic trading
Our company, BlackBridge Investments, was founded by a couple of entrepreneurs and experienced commodities traders, but we originally met in...
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Is your scrap plastic trading operation like the Three Stooges?
Hollywood is out of ideas. They just made a Three Stooges movie – a remake of a 70-year-old franchise that...
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Scrap Plastic Trading Lessons from the NBA playoffs
The NBA playoffs are underway, with 16 teams competing for the championship. The NBA playoffs are testament to teamwork, determination,...
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What can the Kentucky Derby teach us about the scrap plastic recycling trade?
The Kentucky Derby took place on May 5. “The Run for the Roses” is a classic horse race run since...
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4 big benefits you’ll get when you follow BlackBridge Investments on Twitter
Here at BlackBridge Investments, we’re expanding our presence on social media because we believe that social media offers big opportunities...
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4 Ways to help your business by hanging out with BlackBridge Investments on Facebook
BlackBridge Investments is undertaking a big expansion of our social media presence – this is going to be a major...
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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....
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4 Undeniable Reasons Why Social Media Matters for the Plastic Scrap Industry
Here at BlackBridge Investments, we are trying to embrace some new ways of doing business in the scrap plastic recycling...
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4 reasons why you need to get third party scale tickets to ship scrap plastic
The plastic recycling industry is about efficiently sourcing and shipping scrap plastic in reliable quality standards and consistent quantities. Part...
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What is the best language to include in a scrap plastic Purchase Order (PO)?
In the plastic recycling trade, every transaction represents a promise between two trading partners. The reason why our business is...
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11 must-have items to include on a scrap plastic invoice
A common saying in football is “block and tackle,” as in, “do the basics right, and the rest will follow.”...
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How to deliver a load of plastic scrap to the port FAS
As we discussed in a prior blog article on Incoterms, there are various ways that plastic scrap suppliers, buyers and...
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Top 4 due diligence actions before entering an agreement with new scrap plastic companies
The scrap plastic trading business is built on trust, open communication and easy exchange of information. Like so many commodities,...
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4 things you need to look for when buying HDPE post-consumer bottles
HDPE plastic (high density polyethylene)is one of the most commonly recycled and widely used varieties of plastic scrap. For plastic...
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4 Simple Ways to Save Money by Avoiding Scrap Plastic Material Rejections
Life in the scrap plastic trade is always more fun when the deals progress smoothly and every customer is happy...
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Five Guidelines of Scrap Plastic Loading Photos
If you’re in the scrap plastic recycling business, you know that this business is all about trust. Your trading partners...
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What networking events do you want to attend if you are in the scrap plastic and recycling business?
If you’re trying to meet new customers, find the latest and greatest developments in your industry, and network with other...
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Why are personal relationships important when buying and selling scrap plastic?
We’ve found that some of the most rewarding work we’ve done in the plastic recycling business has come from personal...
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How are plastic scrap prices generated?
The market for scrap plastic can often be less than transparent. There is no set “rule” for where plastic scrap...
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What do CNF, FOB & Ex Works mean?
If you’re buying, selling and shipping scrap plastic bales, how do you know who loads the truck, who pays the...
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What to look and ask for when buying mixed plastic scrap bales (#1-7)
When analyzing photos and blends prior to purchasing mixed #1-7 plastic scrap material, it is important to have well documented...
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What to look for when buying Post Consumer PET Bottles
Buying post-consumer PET bottles is one of the biggest components of the plastic recycling trade, with multiple consumer and industrial...
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How to choose a reputable recycled plastic trading partner
Traditionally, one of the biggest challenges to anyone doing business in the recycled plastic market has been the uncertainty of...
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What does Steve Jobs have to do with plastic recycling?
On October 5, 2011, Apple founder Steve Jobs passed away. This was a terribly sad day for his family and...
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What products can be made from recycled PET plastic?
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic is one of the most commonly recycled plastic materials, and most of it is used to...
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What products can be made from recycled HDPE plastic?
High density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic is labeled as #2 plastic for recycling purposes and is one of the most commonly...
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