14 Incredible Kids Who Changed the World in the Last Decade

When he was just 3 years old, Ryan Hickman was inspired to collect recycling in his neighborhood after visiting a recycling plant in California. With the help of his parents, he founded Ryan’s Recycling Company in 2012 and become a viral sensation for his efforts to keep plastic out of the ocean. According to his company’s website, the now 10-year-old has recycled 809,000 cans and bottles and has donated over $10,000 to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. He’s also saving the proceeds from his efforts to pay for college. Hickman recently visited Washington to promote a standardized labeling system to help eliminate recycling contamination in trash bins. His mom and dad probably used these 10 habits of parents with successful kids.

In 2012 at the age of 3, Ryan went along with his dad to the local recycling center and cashed in a few small bags of cans and bottles and decided that recycling was in his future. The day after going to the recycling center, Ryan notified his mom and dad that he wanted to give empty plastic bags to all the neighbors and maybe they would save their recyclables for him. Not only did the local neighbors save their cans and bottles for Ryan but so did their friends, families and co-workers. Ryan spends a part of every week sorting thru cans and bottles from his customers and getting them ready to take to the recycle center.

In 2016, Ryan’s recycling story went viral and ever since he has been featured on web sites, television and radio stations around the planet.

People ask all the time what kind of items that Ryan recycles. Ryan collects and recycles plastic and glass beverage bottles as well as aluminum cans. Ryan and his dad take them in by the truckload regularly to the local redemption center where they are unloaded, sorted and weighed.