[thaumasiotes]

> to give the collectors a living wage.

Why would this be a goal?

[relaxing]

1. Cans need to be collected

2. Everyone needs a living wage

Hope this helps.

[umvi]

> 2. Everyone needs a living wage

I think everyone would agree with this, but phrased slightly differently I don't think everyone would agree:

"Every method of making money must be capable of generating a living wage for the person using that method"

[thaumasiotes]

>> 2. Everyone needs a living wage

> I think everyone would agree with this

Are you kidding? You'd have to be insane to agree with that. Some people are already independently wealthy. Some people -- a really large number of people -- are supported by other people.

[umvi]

I think everyone would agree that, barring rich people, at the end of the day everyone needs to be supported by someone making at least a living wage.

[thaumasiotes]

And it should be illegal for those people to have jobs themselves?

[jstanley]

If the value of having the cans collected is less than the cost of having someone collect them, then it turns out the cans don't need to be collected after all.

[PeterisP]

If collecting doesn't pay enough to be worth doing, it does not get done.