Zeb tells his story of building Bricolage, a vertically integrated glass recycling startup in Greenville SC. “Vertically integrated" Zeb explains, is a just fancy way of saying they handle the entire recycling process. Bricolage starts with the collection of glass, handles manufacturing of the end product (sand), and closes the loop by selling it back into the community. Zeb shares how his decade of global supply chain experience led him to this solution and how a decline in municipal recycling programs is creating growing opportunities in the private market.
Website: www.bricdynamics.com
Zeb's number: 864-4two1-2three85
Timestamp notes:
3:34 - Original plan for Bricolage was plastic. “climb the smaller mountains first”
4:47 - The various outputs and uses of the bricolage machines
7:14 - Shrinking municipal programs are creating a market for privatized residential recycling
8:49 - The glass recycling problem is really a supply chain problem - how Bricolage is approaching the industry differently
12:11 - Cities are struggling with recycling
12:49 - Current programs are opaque with little visibility into what happens after the waste leaves your home
13:28 - Transparency is important from a community standpoint so people can see what’s being done with their recourses
14:09 - Balancing 2 lines of business is tough but Zeb doesn’t see it being possible any other way
16:03 - Zeb’s vertically integrated model keeps them from being dependent on any individual city
17:12 - The benefit of privatized recycling
19:04 - The sand shortage
20:36 - Why is now the right time to raise capital for Bricolage?
21:22 - The challenge of Bricolage functioning as a manufacturing company
23:25 - What the future looks like for bricolage