25th Annual BioCycle West Coast Conference 2010

BioCycle West Coast Conference 2010

We welcome you to BioCycle West Coast Conference 2010, our 25th year of hosting a BioCycle Conference on the West Coast. While topics on the agenda have changed over these 25 years, the dynamics created by bringing together pioneers and practitioners of composting, organics recycling and renewable energy have not. There is something exciting and energizing about being together in a setting that fosters learning and networking. The connections you make and knowledge you gain will encourage and advance projects, programs and research, critical for success of organics diversion.

This year’s West Coast Conference includes a special track of sessions for Tribal and Rural Communities (Track 3). In many instances, these communities have an intense interest in adopting sustainable waste management practices, but are limited in their access to financial resources, end markets and information to initiate projects. BioCycle has enjoyed our collaboration with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 (Pacific Southwest Region), as well as the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals and the Rural Community Assistance Corporation, to identify and reach out to speakers.

For many years, BioCycle has published articles on greening events, but we had never tried it ourselves. For the first time, this BioCycle West Coast Conference is going GREEN. There are five Zero Waste stations throughout the Conference venue so you can recycle and compost your materials. To avoid contamination in the compost stream, please review the signs before placing your materials in the specially marked compost and recycling bins. The organic materials collected will go directly to the City of San Diego’s Greenery for processing. We will get a close up look at what was collected during Thursday’s field trip. We thank our Green Team who made our Zero Waste program possible: Good Green Graces, Novamont, the City of San Diego, Town & Country Resort and Waste Management.

Other ways in which we are greening this BioCycle Conference: Electronic signage (instead of nonrecyclable banners) — Please see the large monitor in the Conference Registration area for all important Conference announcements; Use of hotel china/silverware with option of compostable cups and spoons (provided by Novamont), for the Continental breakfasts and coffee breaks; Water stations (no bottled water); Collection baskets to recycle your name badges; and Ecovio bags donated by BASF for lunch on Thursday’s field trip.

BioCycle Conferences are designed to bring the information delivered monthly in the pages of BioCycle to life. Use this Conference as an opportunity to learn from and interact with people like yourself — key players in making sustainable waste/resource management happen. We know you will be energized by the new ideas and strategies as you meet our passionate speakers and fellow participants.

On behalf of the Goldstein family – Jerry, Ina, Rill and myself – along with our coworkers Doug Pinkerton, Teri Sorg-McManamon and Celeste Madtes, we thank you for coming to the BioCycle West Coast Conference. We also thank our sponsors, speakers, moderators, and our host city of San Diego for their generous support.