What an awesome event! We had a nice breakfast and then did a beach clean up with the West Coast crew from SUN BUM (thanks for hosting the event). After the clean up, we looked at micro plastic from water samples we took at the beach under a microscope. It was crazy to see plastic in the tiniest forms. Thank you so much to the SC Johnson Company for giving me a van today to help with my Project3R events. What an amazing surprise! This van will definitely get put to use and the best part is it’s electric! Look for it at upcoming events.
This past week I toured Rehrig Pacific Company. They are located North of Los Angeles and they’ve been making trash bins since 1913! They used to make bins out of wood long time ago but now they make bins and all sorts of other containers, pallets and stackable container holders (like the kind that holds soda bottles) out of recycled plastic. I met them at Waste Expo last month and I wanted to learn more so I asked for a tour. Their facility is amazing! I even got to help assemble a trash bin.
Did you know that all of the trash bins they make have a trackable bar code that can tell how many times the container was dumped, and if it was picked up? I saw the big molds that make the bins and I had no idea there were so many colors of trash, recycle and compost bins. As you can imagine, their warehouse was huge and they have facilities all over the country. Next time you recycle a plastic bottle, it might just get made into your next trash bin. Thank you Rehrig for the the tour and keep up the great work!
Ryan featured this week on PATTRN (Weather Channel). Thank you to hosts, Molly and Stephanie!
Watch Ryan’s segment here!
Ryan attended Waste Expo this week in Las Vegas Nevada and spent his time checking out all the amazing products and services as well as conducting interviews on behalf of Waste360. Ryan’s meet and greet session at the Waste360 Lounge went great and he spoke to people and took photos with fans. Thank you to everyone who said hi to him during the show and Ryan’s looking forward to the 2023 show which will be in New Orleans. See you next year!
Rep. Mike Levin Celebrates Earth Day by Honoring Local Environmentalist Ryan Hickman as April Constituent of the Month
Oceanside, CA – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) announced that Ryan Hickman, a 13-year-old resident of San Juan Capistrano, is his April Constituent of the Month. To celebrate Earth Day and National Volunteer Month, Rep. Levin is proud to recognize the remarkable work Ryan is doing to protect our planet and oceans and contribute to this unique and beautiful district.
At the age of three, Ryan started bringing bottles and cans to his local recycling center with his father. He then began asking his neighbors and friends for their recyclables. Now, Ryan is leading recycling efforts around the world and has been internationally recognized for his recycling company’s work, including by Time Magazine and the Global Child Prodigy Awards. To date, Ryan has passionately and tirelessly worked to recycle over 1.5 million cans and bottles, preventing them from entering our waterways and oceans.
See below for Rep. Levin’s statement recognizing Ryan Hickman in the Congressional Record:
“Madam Speaker, it is my great honor to recognize San Juan Capistrano resident Ryan Hickman as my April Constituent of the Month. Ryan began recycling for his family at the early age of three, and since then he has grown his passion to helping people all over world recycle and be better stewards of the planet.
“Growing up, Ryan pursued his passion of preventing bottles and cans from reaching the ocean, and he now leads clean ups all over the world. To this day, Ryan spends a part of every week sorting through cans and bottles from his customers and getting them ready to take to the recycling center. I am proud he has combined his passion of recycling and protecting the environment with volunteerism to support our community and conserve its beauty.
“During National Volunteer Month and on Earth Day, I am proud to celebrate the exceptional work of individuals like Ryan Hickman who volunteer their time and contribute to our unique and beautiful district. I’m so grateful for CA-49 residents who dedicate their lives to the betterment of our residents and planet, and I’m proud to honor Ryan Hickman as my April Constituent of the Month.”
Representative Levin’s Constituent of the Month program recognizes outstanding North County San Diego and South Orange County Residents who have gone above and beyond to help their neighbors, give back to their community, and represent the best of our country. Rep. Levin’s March Constituent of the Month was local Olympic Gold Medalist Kaillie Humphries. His February Constituents of the Month were Cynthia and W.B. May, veterans and owners of Cynthia’s Artistic Expressions in Oceanside.
To nominate a resident of the 49th District to be the Constituent of the Month, fill out this nomination form.
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Thank you Green Matters for featuring me this week on your web site! Read article here.