Meet Ryan Hickman, the California boy who started collecting neighbours’ bottles at 3 and had recycled about 1.6 million cans and bottles by 12

Ryan Hickman was just 3-and-a-half when a trip to a local recycling center sparked his love for recycling.

Ryan told Green Matters that, “When I was 3, I was doing it mostly for the money, because I didn't know much about the environment,” adding, “But when I was 5 or 6, I started to see it was helping the environment, so that's what started to motivate me even more.”

He soon started his own recycling company, Ryan’s Recycling. Ryan and his father, Damion Hickman, spend much of their weekends driving around Orange County, California, collecting cans and bottles from locals.


By the time Ryan was 12-and-a-half, he had collected and recycled about 1.6 million cans and bottles.

Ryan’s passion grew as he got older

Ryan said that when he was 3, he was mostly recycling for the money because he did not know much about the environment. By the time he was 5 or 6, he understood that his work was helping the environment, which motivated him even more.

His Recycling eventually attracted attention from celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres and Jennifer Aniston after his story went viral in 2017.

Ryan serves as CEO of the company and wants to keep growing it. The money he earns from Ryan’s Recycling goes toward his college fund.

He hoped to attend the University of California, Irvine, so he could continue running his business rather than stop recycling while in college. He also said he wanted to continue working in recycling long after college.

Ryan created a nonprofit for environmental work

After Ryan’s story went viral, he and his father received offers of donations. In 2020, Ryan founded Project 3R, a nonprofit focused on recycling, environmental education and awareness, community and beach cleanups, and more.

Around 20 children from his school attended his most recent beach cleanup in March.

Money from Ryan’s Recycling T-shirts and hats goes to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, California, to help rescue sick and injured seals and sea lions.

Ryan remains hopeful about the planet

Ryan said taking action through recycling helps him feel hopeful about the future of the planet and the climate crisis.

His favorite part of the work is spending time with his father and knowing that the recyclables they collect are not getting thrown away.

Damion said that although the work can sometimes be demanding, seeing how happy it makes his son keeps him motivated.

Ryan hopes his story inspires others to live more sustainably. He said, “If a 12 year old kid like me could do it, anybody can. If I could do it, you can too,” as quoted by Green Matters.