Sociologists agree that the sociological imagination fosters students' critical thinking skills (Eckstein, Schoenike, and Delaney 1995; Haddad and Lieberman 2002; Logan 1976; Mayer 1986; Misra 2000). The challenge lies in motivating students to develop their sociological imaginations. Convincing them of its importance and practical value takes creativity beyond requiring readings, class discussions, and papers describing its theoretical importance. Students need to see the relevancy of C. Wright Mills's (1959) work applied to everyday living. McKinney, Saxe, and Cobb (1998) note that educators are ethically bound to develop active, responsible learners. In this paper, the author outlines an interactive technique using garbage to teach the relevancy of Mills's sociological imagination. He argues that experiential assignments like the collection and monitoring of garbage can assist in the explanation of, and the students' learning of, the sociological imagination.