Here is a placeholder overview of the various revenue projects, most of this is copied from the "Lost Projects" section of the Hostile Takeover Report.  This will be replaced with detailed articles on each project, based on internal documents, emails, and my recollection of discussion at meetings.

1. Reuse Program:  Occasionally people drop off valuable items, including electronics, books, sets of magazines, small appliances, tools, misc household items, old office supplies, leftover or salvaged building supplies, and so on.  Some are useful as-is, some need minor cleanup, some need repairs, some are useful for parts.  These items are usually given away in exchange for dropping off recyclable materials, or for a donation, we planned to skim off the higher value items to sell locally and online.  Efforts to do this with volunteer labor failed, plan was for Board members to get it started and then hand it over to a paid employee, with startup costs covered by grant funds until revenues made it sustainable, but careful management is required to make it profitable.

   1. Electronics:  We amassed a huge inventory, including old yet decent desktop PC's (Core 2 Duo & newer), couple dozen old PC's (Pentium 4/D/M, Core 1), rack mount server cases (P4 era Xeon), LCD displays, laser printers, and lots of other salvageable valuable stuff, worth 1 to maybe 3 thousand dollars (gross) depending on how it was sold.  Also had several broken TV's with valuable components, worth $50 to $100 each as parts online, some could be repaired to be sold for twice as much.  Overall, this stockpile combined with a REAP CED grant was enough to hire a tech, an e-waste collection drive across surrounding counties would make this position sustainable, and create significant revenues.  Selling low cost electronics to local needy families would be a significant public benefit, especially PC's for kids in school.  In September, in an obscene waste of resources, this Board scrapped this electronics stockpile.

   2. Books:  We amassed an inventory of 5 pallet-boxes of books sorted to sell locally and online, the product of a couple dozen hours of volunteer labor, but our Recycling Coordinator was unable to find a volunteer to follow through on selling the books, even when offered a 50% commission.  There were another 8 or so pallet-boxes of unsorted books, many in bad condition (mold), expected 1 or 2 more pallet-boxes of salvage.  Plan was, once internet access was available at our recycling center, Board members would work to get sales started, then hand it over to a paid employee dedicated to reuse stuff sales, we were also going to hold a book sale similar to what the Roane Co Library does.  In another obscene waste, this Board decided to rip up and recycle these books.

2. USDA NRCS Community Compost Food Waste Reduction (CCFWR) Project FY2020 (aka “Compost Grant”):  Grant award minimum $45,000, maximum $90,000, term 2 years, required 25% match (very flexible).  Proposed project was two parts, first compost for plant-derived waste, second biochar for animal-derived waste, each as small light-industrial facilities located at the recycling center.  Would create one part time job, for a Compost Coordinator, and add to RC Worker jobs.  This required partnering with other organizations, which would include local NRCS for projects with local farms, Roane WVU Extension for technical assistance to local farms, Master Gardeners for volunteer support, Farmers Markets, RC Public Schools, RC Committee On Aging, and area grocers and restaurants.  Deadline was June 26, this RCC hostile takeover disrupted work on completing the grant application.  This compost project is consistent with RCSWA Comprehensive Litter and Solid Waste Control Plan.

   1. Biochar Expansion:  Project plan included requesting REAP or SWMB funding to add two more adams retorts, gasifier, condenser, and some related equipment.  This would expand the program to include buying high quality saw mill scrap, and accept woody yard waste, construction debris, storm debris, road kill, and other biomass.  This program would produce a diversified range of valuable charcoal products, including food grade, cosmetic grade, water filtration grade (e.g. for Spencer water plant), fuel grade, biochar for soil, inoculated biochar for soil, premium terra-preta compost, pollution cleanup products, and material to bury for carbon sequestration credit.  Secondary products including heat, wood vinegar, pyrolysis oil/tar, syngas.  That sounds complicated but output products depend upon input material quality & type processed at a given temperature & time (like cooking).  This was to be modeled after Living Web Farms biochar facility (see biochar videos on http://livingwebfarms.org/ for an overview, can skip the small steel drum demo), except this would use newer higher-efficiency adams retort equipment from New England Biochar.  One retort should be smaller higher temperature (2200~2400°F) for activated charcoal and high quality products, and the other retort larger for bulk lower quality materials (850~950°F).  This expansion would need a change to the RCSWA Comprehensive Litter and Solid Waste Control Plan.

   2. Cooking Oil Expansion:  Food waste drop-off or pick-up from various local commercial kitchens would make it easier to also collect used cooking oil.  This has bulk resale value, or could be processed on-site into bio-diesel, or pyrolyzed into low grade carbon black.  This was explored in June 2019, but abandoned due to small volume and collection difficulty.  This expansion may need a change to the RCSWA Comprehensive Litter and Solid Waste Control Plan.

3. Glass Products:  In the RA 2020 grant, we requested an Expleco GL Sand glass pulverizer, and planned to custom build a sand sifter based on the Expleco GL V Screen, this was not awarded, but can still be done with available resources and a glass crusher on free loan from Jackson Co SWA.  Later we learned Shepherd University received an award for both machines (maybe REAP decided to fund one glass production experiment in WV at a time, and Shepherd was the better candidate), REAP will provide technical assistance based on the progress of that project.  The following equipment is required:

   1. Jackson Co SWA Glass Crusher:  Safe usage of this machine requires a dust containment modification, with rubber skirting such that dust physically cannot escape, and added mount points for dust collection air ducts on the conveyor and mill output.

   2. Dust Collection System:  Custom built, with a variable speed HVAC blower on intake-side, and on output-side a modified heavy duty woodshop centrifugal dust collector vacuum system, with HEPA filter bag and collection into a steel barrel.  This would be configured to be easily attachable to the glass crusher, cullet sifter, sand sifter, or possibly other machines.

   3. Cullet Sifter:  Custom built, consisting of a heavy wood frame with automotive springs to mount a stack of sifting trays, wood frame trays with heavy steel mesh, trays arranged in a tight stack, outlet ports from each tray to collection bins, concrete vibrator motor to facilitate sifting action, and removable panels with duct connections for a dust containment enclosure.  This would be sized to fit to the glass crusher output, but could be operated independently.

   4. Sand Sifter:  Custom built, similar to Expleco GL V Screen machine, but with a plastic barrel for a dust containment enclosure plus air duct connections to dust collection system, and may have more than 5 sifting trays (TBD).  The GL V Screen machine is basically a tight fitting stack of five mesh sand sifting trays with output ports on the sides, the tray stack is locked down to a metal base, which is mounted on stocks, and sifting is facilitated by a vibrator motor.  For reference see https://www.expleco.com/ , for spec sheet, manual, video (note, this uses roll formed steel tray rims and bands to lock trays together to make a dust tight stack, which is difficult without roll forming machines, a plastic barrel provides for dust containment instead).

   5. Glass Washer:  Salvaged commercial kitchen 3-basin sink, with wire mesh wash baskets, gantry to maneuver wash baskets, water pump, water tank/buckets, water filtration system, on casters, with a GFI power cord.  This is used to sanitize cullet and mulch, and wash off debris (food residue, paper label bits, glass dust, tumbling sand).  Note, this was dropped from production startup funding requirements, it would be added later via reinvesting profits to increase the labor efficiency of mulch production and to add a higher quality washed cullet product.  Until then cullet would not be washed, and mulch would be washed by hand in wire baskets with a garden hose to recover sand used for tumbling.

   6. Glass Dryer:  Wood shelving frames (2-by-4) on casters, with tightly spaced wire mesh shelves with air ducts, and salvaged HVAC blower (or multiple box fans).  Note, this was dropped from production startup funding requirements, it would be added later via reinvesting profits to increase labor efficiency.  Until then mulch would only be washed when its sunny out, and then be dried on tarps laid out on the concrete driveway.

   7. List of Glass Products:  Glass cullet, small 1/8in to 1/2in bits of crushed glass, has sharp edges, used as aggregate in concrete and asphalt, and volume reduction of bulk recycled glass.  Glass mulch, 1/2in cullet tumbled to smooth beach-glass like finish.  Glass sand, finely crushed glass with mixed grain sizes (not sifted, low dust), clear sand is used to increase reflectivity in road paint, green & brown have various uses in crafts, mixed color sand is used as a high quality mortar/concrete additive.  Sand blasting grit, finely crushed sifted glass, medium quality grit used to strip rust and paint (sold at TSC for $45 50-lb bucket).  Filter sand, course sifted sand packed into water filtration systems.

   8. Glass Products Example:  Mulch at-startup production costs $0.19/lb, post-startup costs $0.11/lb, sells for $0.25/lb bulk or $0.30/lb bucket. After startup, with average net profit of $0.15/lb and typical 4 tons per quarter, the total profit is $1,200, which combined with direct sales of materials and sorting paper, should make operations sustainable. If 1 ton of that 4 tons is sand blasting grit, produced for $0.20/lb, sold for $0.60/lb bulk or $0.80/lb bucket (vs TSC retail at $0.90/lb), with $0.50/lb average net profit, that quarterly profit increases to $1,900. Profit potential of the 14 ton inventory is unknown, new market research is needed, but a profit of $0.05/lb is a total of $1,400. Maximum example, 5 tons of sand blasting grit, startup cost of $0.35/lb, sold for $0.80/lb, profit $0.45/lb, could yield $4,500, increasing the 14 ton total to $5,400. This can establish a cash reserve.

4. Cardboard Products:  The RA 2020 grant includes a custom built cardboard cutting table, to produce various sizes of cards, cutouts, and tri-fold panels.  Cat scratching boards, and possibly other laminated cardboard products, were also going to be produced.  Also includes a cardboard converter, already purchased but is not being used by the new incompetent Board leadership, this machine produces cardboard mesh/net packing material.

   1. Cardboard Cutting Table:  Heavy duty 4ft by 8ft work table built of 2-layer 2-by-4’s and MDF surface (consumable), mounted on 2 point center pivot on the short sides with corner locks (6 points), attached to a 36-inch high 4-by-4 frame, able to fold into a 2-by-8 foot footprint, with casters.  Aluminum rails mounted to the long sides of the table would carry a gantry, a tool mount on the gantry would carry a rotary electric cutter.  Measuring tape, markings, and locking points would allow for quickly setting up common cuts.  Would also feature work lights.

   2. CNC Upgrade:  This table would be built to CNC cutting table specifications for a later upgrade when funding was available.  This would consist of a set of 3 pinion rails, 3 motors, motorized tool holder (z-axis), track-end switches with wiring, CNC controller, desktop PC (salvaged), replace the MDF sheet with a vacuum bed (use with shop vac), rotary cutter replaced with a laser cutter, and add an overhead shroud with a vent fan with duct (clip to open garage door track).  This upgrade would save labor, paying for itself with sufficient production volume and time, cost unknown but can be custom built at lower cost with volunteer labor.  This upgrade would also allow for a wider range of CNC laser cut or engraved products, and other tools could add still more products, from recycling materials.

   3. Cardboard Strip Cutting Machine:  This machine design is inspired by printers and a Klindex cardboard converter considered as an alternative to the HSM machine we purchased, but uses rotary razor blades instead of heavy die cutter rollers.  Consists of a heavy metal frame, of two sideways “U” shape steel plates, with an opening 18 inches wide by 1 inch high, the plates are bolted to 3 pieces of steel box tube, which mount two pairs of light axle bearings for the cutter shaft above and feed shaft below.  The cutter shaft carries a gear wheel, spacers, and rotary razor cutting blades.  The feed shaft carries a gear wheel, spacers, and rubber rollers arranged to be opposite each rotary blades above.  A salvaged motor with chain linage and control box power the machine, with a warning power-on light, and work light.  Machine would be mounted on a 2-by-4 stand, with in-feed table, out-feed bin, casters, and able to fold up for storage.

   4. Cardboard Laminated Product Work Table:  This table would be used to make various laminated products, its a dedicated table primarily due to extensive use of glue applied with a sprayer.  Table consists of simple 2-by-4 frame with 3-by-6 foot 5/4-inch plywood top coated with polyurethane, polished smooth, and folding legs, with casters.

   5. Cat Scratching Boards Production:  Clamp frames and folding jigs would also need to be built, for example in production usage:  Strips would be laid out as a sheet, sprayed with a light water-base glue, stacked into a non-stick clamp frame, set on a shelf to dry (reuse of glass dryer shelf), later removed and cleaned.  Cardboard trays for scratching boards would be cut to a template on the cutting table (in batches), then placed in a frame with a folding jig, glued, set on a shelf to dry, later removed, cleaned, and a scratching board inserted with glue.  A product instructions sheet and small zip-lock bag of locally sourced dried catnip would round out the product, worth about $8 to $12 at retail depending on size, costs maybe $5 to $6 to make depending on size and worker speed, and time required to sort & prep collected cardboard.  At 10 minutes labor each, 36 boards per work day, hour for lunch plus hour for cleanup ($20), that’s $288 to $432 worth of product a day, at a cost of $200 to $236, for a profit of $88 to $196, before any sales costs.  Production 2 days a month is $528 to $1,176 per quarter, for 216 boards.  Higher levels of production is unlikely due to a limited quantity of good quality cardboard collected.

5. Thrift Store Project:  Last February, The Closet was forced out of business by their out-of-town owner so she could liquidate & retire, and this created a void in the local economy which was considered as a means for RCSWA to expand its reuse program.  Raleigh Co SWA operates a thrift store, Last Chance Mercantile, which could also serve as a reference business model.  Profitability is fairly clear, The Closet was successful and their staff were looking to expand, but a RCSWA venture would have lower operating costs and grant funds significantly reduce the usual difficulty of starting a store.

1. Plans include constructing a new building 3 to 4 times the size of The Closet, out of timber frame, straw bale, and salvaged materials (maybe disassemble an old barn), in a similar "old country store" style, this approach has a significantly lower cost than conventional stick build.  It would include an office, storage with light duty loading dock, tool library, crafts work area, and other community resource features. Could include a barn/shed-like area for construction materials and appliances, like a small Restore Store.  This should be located along a main road, not the end of Oak Drive.

2. Significant focus is on creating jobs, especially now with the bad economy.  It would help to hire some experienced people from The Closet, even if only short term to help get clothing collection and sales started.  The Closet ignored online sales, entirely, the people involved had no experience with it (or computers), would need to find someone else experienced to help get it started.  Another job would be managing the tool library, construction materials, and general building maintenance.

3. Starting point for startup is financial sustainability of recycling operations, and growing the reuse program into a significant revenue stream while at the recycling center.  REAP RA grant funds could cover part of the property and new building costs, remainder would need to be financed similar to the recycling center building.  Timber frame needs to be professionally put up, but the straw bale part could be done by volunteers as a community work day followed by a dinner.

4. Revenues from this store would primarily go back to the local economy, in the form of wages, creating numerous small easy part-time jobs, which would be beneficial to the county during a poor economy.  Profits after any RCSWA critical needs, would be reinvested in programs with public benefit (e.g. classes, events, craft equipment, tools, etc).  If there are significant profits, which seems readily possible, these would be disposed of via small grants to help with public problems around the county, or to local non-profit organizations for benefit to Roane residents.

6. Wood Salvage, Utility Furniture:  For the REAP CED 2019 grant, Chris Dalzell salvaged a large amount of 2-by-4 framing wood from a nearby office interior demolition project, and built a heavy duty workbench.  With a combination of good design, decent skill, decent tools, and a decent workshop setup, salvaged 2-by-4 furniture can be extremely durable, not great looking yet not ugly, built at a low cost, and sold for a small profit.  The recycling center could accept salvageable wood and make a variety of products.  This goes well with a biochar facility, to skim off the good stuff coming in on a regular basis.

7. Solid Waste Authority as Economic Engine:  Roane County is economically depressed, every job helps, so long as its sustainable.  A lot of ideas were explored throughout the course of looking for ways to increase revenues, many had potential for break-even, but not enough to help sustainability.  Still other ideas for break-even projects could be facilitated by the production projects. Cumulatively these may increase economy of scale to become profitable, but great care and management skill is needed to make sure it doesn’t turn into an untenable mess.  These also decrease the county solid waste tonnage, keeping the value of that waste in the local economy.

8. Lobby For Tipping Fee Rate Increase:  Double the tipping fee rate.  Allocate 20% to support SWA recycling operations on a monthly basis, 20% to SWMB grant funds pool, 20% to annual (12mo) REAP RA grants, 20% to improve the recycling industry in WV, 10% to state wide advocacy, and 10% to administration with a more effective state-wide management of the recycling economy.  Require all SWA’s to have a recycling program and to make efficient use of these resources.  Require WM to keep residential trash service prices flat with half the number of bags (decrease from 6 to 3), add fees for collection of more bags, and encourage people to recycle to avoid the fees.  Encourage county SWA’s to deploy collection trailers around their counties, collect from businesses, produce value added products, and hire people.  Businesses with dumpsters should follow cost efficiency to recycle more.  Push WV EDA to either recruit more recycling mills to come here or start cooperatives to fill market voids around the state, by with opening mills in economically depressed small towns with vacant industrial buildings (some owned by the county EDA’s).  Require WV DOT to use crushed glass when possible, and to purchase crushed glass products from local recycling centers, before going to other commercial sources, e.g. brown/green cullet for asphalt mix to fill pot holes, clear sand for road paint, sand blasting grit, etc.