Meet Ryan Hickman, who visited a recycling centre with his father at age 3 in 2012, a decade later he had recycled over 1.7 million bottles and cans

In 2012, Ryan Hickman was just three years old when he visited a recycling centre in California with his father, Damion Hickman. What began as a family trip turned into a long-term interest in recycling.

After the visit, Ryan came up with an idea. He wanted to give plastic bags to his neighbours so they could collect their empty bottles and cans for him. His parents soon realised that he was serious about it.

A decade later, Ryan had recycled more than 1.7 million bottles and cans, according to a report by Scholastic. He had also established Ryan's Recycling Company and a nonprofit organisation focused on recycling and climate awareness.

How did he get started?

According to reports, his interest began after his visit to the recycling centre in 2012, where he liked the experience.

Ryan and his father began collecting recyclables. They collected it from across Orange County, California, where they live.

Just a small idea

Ryan founded Ryan's Recycling Company to collect recyclable materials from households and other sources. His family helped with the work, including collecting and transporting the items.

According to Scholastic, Ryan and his father continued their collection rounds every Saturday. They generated recyclable items and sorted them at their home or took them to a local recycling centre.

At the centre, the materials were weighed and exchanged for money. Ryan told Scholastic that he estimated recycling around 6,000 plastic and glass bottles and cans per weekend at the time of the interview.

The viral efforts

In 2016, a story about his recycling efforts went viral, helping introduce his initiative to a wider audience. He subsequently appeared in several media platforms and received awards for his efforts.

Ryan has also encouraged people to begin recycling even if they cannot collect large quantities of waste. In his interview with Scholastic, he said that small efforts could make a difference and that people did not need to do as much as he did. By December 2022, Ryan had recycled more than 1.7 million bottles and cans, according to Scholastic.