As of the time of posting this story, it had 851,000 views and counting! Thank you ETtoday. Between all 7 of their Facebook pages they have running this story, the viewer count for Ryan’s story is about 2 million viewers so far. Whoa. Thank you ETtoday and thank you everyone in Taiwan checking out his story!
Today Ryan’s story got picked up in Hong Kong thanks to the nice people at Sundaymore.com! 30,000 views the very first day. Ryan is so excited that people in China find his recycling business interesting and he hopes to visit there someday. Check out the video they made: https://www.facebook.com/morehk.hk/videos/10154736693725801/
Today we donated the funds from the t-shirt orders that came in this week. Every $1 buys a pound of fish for the rescued seals and sea lions. Ryan learned about a dead baby gray whale that washed ashore this morning locally. In case you are wondering how big a baby gray whale is, let’s just say they loaded it in a truck with a front end loader. 2000 lbs and 15 feet long. Wow!
If you are in Laguna Beach, stop by and see the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. https://www.pacificmmc.org/
All proceeds from Ryan’s shirts are donated to the PMMC. Buy a shirt and save a seal! http://dhdwear.com/misc-bike-t-shirts/Ryans-Recycling-White
What San Jose Can Learn About Recycling From a 7-Year Old
It is often said that a little child shall lead them. This is certainly the case where 7-year old Ryan of Orange County, California, and owner of Ryan’s Recycling. It is undeniable that the world (and in particular many of the world’s major cities and industrial towns) is in trouble where its waste is concerned. This is particularly true where plastics are concerned.
This Problem Of Plastic
As it stands, approximately 300 million tons of plastic is produced and circulated each year. What’s worse is that over 80 percent of plastics are never recycled. Up to 90 percent of marine trash (80 percent of which comes from land) is made from plastic. This reality has a devastating effect on the environment when these non-biodegradable materials get into the oceans or rivers, in drains, or other parts of the city after being carelessly discarded or sent to landfills. This is because, plastic, at best, will break into small tiny pieces but never really break down – not anytime soon anyway. The solution given this reality is raised individual and collective consciousness regarding how our actions affect the environment, coupled with decisive action – namely, recycling.
The Story Of Ryan Recycling: How One Child Leads The Way
While the reality of what plastic is doing to the environment can be overwhelming, something can be done about it as one enterprising 7-year old shows us. Ryan developed a passion for recycling which started at three years old and took it to the next level by starting a business. Yes, you read that correctly – Ryan started at three. After visiting a recycling center, he had the idea of collection empty plastics from his neighbors which he could turn in for recycling at the end of the week. Ryan’s customers became his neighbors and community members. The money he would make from recycling was prudently saved for his college. Ryan took his efforts even further, becoming a youth ambassador for the Pacific Marine Mammal Center (PMMC) in Laguna Beach. He currently sells Ryan Recycling t-shirts and donates the proceeds to the organization. …more
7-year-old California boy saves 10K for college with his own recycling company
A 7-year-old boy from California has demonstrated it’s never too early to start recycling. When he was three, Ryan Hickman ventured to a local recycling center in Orange County with his father. The experience moved him to such an extent he declared his intentions to start collecting recyclables from his neighbors the following day. Thus started Ryan’s Recycling Company, through which Ryan has recycled around 200,000 bottles and cans, saving thousands of dollars in the process.
Ryan asked his parents if he could give their neighbors empty plastic bags to fill with cans and bottles. The neighbors were happy to cooperate with him – as were friends, his parents’ co-workers, and family members. Roughly four years later, Ryan has recycled 49,000 pounds of trash from customers throughout Orange County. His website reports he spends “part of every week” sorting through and cleaning the plastic or glass bottles and aluminum cans he then totes to the recycling center with the help of his family. Ryan has saved around $10,000 for college (although his website warns he might actually tell you he’s saving up for his own garbage truck), and $1,624 for charity….more
Incredible 7-Year-Old Boy Is Saving Our Planet AND 10K For College By Recycling
What had you already accomplished before the ripe age of seven?
For Ryan Hickman of San Juan Capistrano, he’s built a business that’s saved him $10,000 for college and counting.
How? With trash… When Ryan was three years old, his father took him on a trip to their local recycling plant.
Why the recycling plant?
From a young age, Ryan always loved sorting. As father, Damion, explained to The Capistrano Dispatch, “he likes to sort pretty much anything, and he liked putting the bottles in the machine. He probably got two or three bucks, and he was so excited about it. And of course then he got to sort his change, so that meant more sorting.”…more
Meet the 7-Year-Old Boy Who Runs His Own Recycling Business
A 7-year-old boy in Orange County, California has quite literally turned trash into treasure: Ryan Hickman launched his own recycling business, and is saving his earnings for college, Distractify reports.
The young entrepreneur’s inspiration for “Ryan’s Recycling” was fueled by a visit he and his father paid to a local recycling center when Ryan was 3 years old.
“He likes to sort pretty much anything, and he liked putting the bottles in the machine,” his father, Damion Hickman, told local newspaper The Capistrano Dispatch. “He probably got two or three bucks, and he was so excited about it. And of course then he got to sort his change, so that meant more sorting.”
When the toddler returned home, he and his mother distributed plastic bags among his neighbors so Ryan could collect and dispose of their cans and bottles, his website states. Friends, family members, and their co-workers soon joined in and, lo and behold, an entrepreneur was born.
Ryan devotes a portion of his week to sorting and cleaning the bottles and cans he collects, and every few weeks, he takes them to the recycling plant. (Ryan’s family lends a helping hand—and even more importantly, a car.) Over the years, his family thinks he’s recycled around 200,000 cans and bottles. He’s also saved approximately $10,000 for college—although if Ryan had it his way, he says he would use the money to purchase his own garbage truck. …more
As every graduate knows, the scariest part of college isn’t the studying or having to grow up, it’s the obscene amount of money that gets ripped away from our bank accounts… a lot of times for many (MANY) years after you graduate. This kid decided he’s going to get a leg up long before he enters his first dorm room.
Meet 7-year-old California native Ryan Hickman. He’s making us halfway-responsible recyclers look really bad because he’s been doing it since was three. And not only is the world a better place because of him, he’s also got $10,000 in his college savings to show for it. …more
We’ve had many people recently asking how Ryan recycles so we thought we’d do a quick video this morning and have Ryan show us how he takes care of his recycling business.
