OPPORTUNITY CONNECTIONS FOR 2007

TO PARAPHRASE what our Executive Editor Nora Goldstcin wrote in the December, 2006 issue of BioCycle, the word that comes to mind as we enter 2007 is - opportunity. "Because when push comes to shove, we are in the business of renewable resource management, capitalizing on opportunities to reduce global

She and we are excited that our toolbox continues to expand in directions that include technologies that convert feedstocks into nutrients, soil improvers, renewable energy components and marketable products. The critical connections that have been made in 2006 continue with vigor, more constructive outreach and greater impact that show no boundaries. As we move into the new year of 2007, we are confident that we all will see continued progress in the steady implementation of ideas, methods and results that power conversion to sustainable profits.

Three articles in this issue of In Business specifically illustrate how the concept of opportunity fits so well into enterprise formation. As the front cover asks: What do a broom bristle manufacturing plant, used cardboard boxes and salvaged plastic bottles filled with fertilizer have in common.' The answer is The Business of Reuse. The first - "Creating Sustainability at a Chocolate Factory" by Molly Farrell Tucker - provides insights on how a Vermont building won LEED recognition. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design - a national standard developed by the U.S. Green Building Council for constructing energy-efficient, sustainable buildings. Founder Jim Chapman of Lake Champlain Chocolates had his employees in mind when he directed the renovations on the structure.

The second - "Getting Into The Big Box By Thinking Outside The Bin" by Cindy Rov ins - explains how a firm that got its start as a business plan in a 2001 University competition has flourished into a company with 40 employees and $6 million sales. TerraCycle is a company achieving a new form (opportunity) of ecocapitalism: Where the environmental bottom line meets the economic bottom line. The message coming loud and clear from its owners: "We're here to stay, and we're doing it our way!" The third - "Reuse Enterprise Trumps Recycling" by Neil Seldman - shows how Marty Metro's company rescues quality used, new overrun and misprinted cardboard boxes to reach the right markets by providing a web-based service that utilizes environmentally-superior products. "We simply do what our customers want," sums up Metro.

The inspiration and lessons from these reports related here will be strongly reinforced by the speakers on the agenda at the 23rd Annual West Coast BioCyde Conference in San Diego, California April 16, 17 and 18, 2007. You'll learn a great deal about "Sustainable Solutions In Action" - from connecting kids with healthy soils, how city managers create meaningful change in the public and private sectors, to the critical components in community initiatives.

The future is now - as opportunities swirl!

Jerome Goldstein