You go into Jim’s living room to watch a brief video highlighting the incredible waste of resources and costs associated with the waste of these resources. Jim gives you a brochure which helps you understand that a cooperative effort can be made by thousands of Americans. The last page suggests a number of options. You are aware that your municipality is working with The Collectors^SM to address the disposal problem in your community. You choose a system that lets you stop carrying your “materials” to the curb. (Materials, yes, that is better than trash.) There were some options regarding new kitchens and home renovation that were kind of exciting, but you weren’t ready to decide about that tonight. You learned that in Columbus, as you pay for the collection service, more of your tax dollars can go to provide police protection, education and other government services. At the moment 10% of the city's budget goes to dispose of trash. You had an opportunity to run the actual costs. You saw how the value of the materials you typically disposed of would reduce the costs of the collection service. When you experimented a little, there was a real value available - as long as your materials were sorted, clean and collected in volume. Projections suggested your service would be free and your system would be paid for in less than a year. If you were a Neighborhood Collector, you could be paid to help your neighbors recycle.

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