By Annabelle Chisholm, Sustainability Advisor for Port Macquarie.
It’s World Environment Day! Do you need some inspiration to get you started on your journey to saving the environment? Read on to find out about Ryan Hickman.
In 2012, a three-year-old boy visited his local recycling centre with his father to cash in a few small bags of cans and bottles. This was when Ryan Hickman decided his future was to be dedicated to helping the environment.
Now seven years old, Ryan has a monopoly on Orange County, California. He is saving his neighbours, friends and families’ plastic and aluminium from ending up in the ocean. So far Ryan has recycled more than 300,000 cans and bottles (and counting!).
Ryan, aside from saving over $21,000 for college, also donated $1860 for the Pacific Marine Mammal Centre.
Appearing on the Ellen Show, CNN and ABC World News, Ryan has become an advocate for recycling, showing just how easy it is to contribute to the elimination of waste in our oceans.
“Recycling helps the Earth, people, plants, animals, and other living things, it’s very easy to recycle,” says Ryan.
Allow the work of Ryan to inspire our recycling habits this World Environment Day, 5 June, and Oceans Day, 8 June.
Have an idea like Ryan? Apply for a Grass Roots Grant for any on-campus sustainability projects!
(Image source: Ryan’s Recycling)
