Abstract: When a trading system receives a request from an employee to trade leave time for a related value, the trading system communicates with an employer system to request a value of leave time accrued by the employee. The employer system transmits the value of leave time to the trading system, and the trading system converts the value of leave time into a related value. Through the trading system, the employee can use the related value to purchase items from one or more merchants.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the thermal conversion of organic waste materials includes a tank having a molten metal bath, preferably lead, through which apertured containers are transported by primary conveyer members in a plane intermediate two arrays of heating devices. Buoyancy of the waste-filled containers is resisted by abutment members within the tank while alignment elements on the containers prevent the containers from becoming askew during their travel through the tank. The abutment members may comprise fixed rails or secondary coveyor members spaced atop the primary conveyor members. Agitation devices within the tank assist in maintaining maximum heat distribution throughout the bath. Produced hydrocarbons are collected by a main hood overlying the major portion of the tank bath surface while separate shroud assemblies overlie other, individual isolated bath surfaces at the entrance and exit of the tank.