Ryan Hickman developed a passion for recycling before he was in elementary school; now a ninth-grader at San Juan Hills High, he’s educated thousands of his peers around the globe on why they should care about keeping plastics and other debris out of the ocean.
“The trash ends up in the ocean, and animals are eating it,” the 14-year-old said. “Picking up a piece of trash may save a turtle’s life.”
And, he’s picked up more than a piece. Since 2012, he estimates that he and others who helped him have collected some 2 million bottles and cans from beaches, lakes and rivers.
On Saturday, April 20, Hickman, with a bunch of volunteers who follow him and Project 3R, the nonprofit he created, will start a five-week campaign to remove trash from five beaches along the Southern California coast and from some in Mexico. The effort kicks off at Dockweiler Beach in Playa Del Rey, and will include other teen influencers among the volunteers.
“I think influencers play an important role because kids look up to each other as role models,” Hickman said. “Having influencers at my event will bring more attention to saving the planet.”
Over the next month they will also hold beach cleanups in Huntington Beach, San Clemente, Oceanside and Ensenada.
He said the most trash he’s ever collected during a beach cleanup was in Long Beach, where he and volunteers scooped up nearly 900 pounds of recyclables and trash. He’s expecting Dockweiler to have even more, he said.
Hickman said he’s also excited about getting more exposure for his nonprofit in Los Angeles. The event is being held in conjunction with Teen Vibes Magazine.
“This seemed like a wonderful opportunity for the young Hollywood talents to come and do something great for our planet, be with their peers, and get content that they can share for Earth Day,” said Melody Butler, editor and CEO of the digital magazine. “Teen Vibes Magazine wants to pivot the attention from the talents that aren’t such great role models to the ones that are.
“Ryan is such an inspiration for all generations,” she added. “I’m hoping that this event on Saturday will spread more awareness through all the talents’ platforms and ignite some passion to do great things for our planet and send the message that you can make a difference like Ryan is.”
His influence story
When Hickman began collecting recyclables, he was just a little kid with a passion for sea life – especially Northern fur seals because they look cute and fluffy when they’re dry – and wanted to help them, other marine mammals and sea turtles be safe in their environment.
He learned about the impacts of pollution as a regular visitor to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, which for more than 40 years has rescued and rehabilitated sea lions and seals.
Watching the animals improve inspired him to think about what he could do to help.
At the same time, he had developed a fascination with recycling as a young child and was mesmerized by the mechanics of trash trucks.
He combined the two concepts and began raising money by collecting recyclables — first in his San Juan Capistrano neighborhood and then throughout Orange County and its beaches.
In 2017, Hickman, then 7, handed a $10,000 check over to the PMMC after picking up 50,000 pounds of trash and more than 200,000 recyclable bottles. The exposure from that effort brought kudos from influential people nationwide, including a shout-out on Twitter from then-Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and appearances on TV shows such as “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “CBS Evening News” and “NBC Nightly News.”
In the years since, he’s harnessed that exposure to further his campaign for the environment. He’s amassed more than half a million social media followers and uses his platform to encourage others to make a difference.
Hickman has since raised more money for the marine mammal center and said he will continue his fundraising for the facility. And, if you’re traveling in an out of John Wayne Airport, you might see a reference to him at the baggage carousels in PSAs about plastic pollution and the impacts on marine mammals as part of PMMC’s awareness efforts.
He leads yearly beach cleanups with the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings hockey teams. Last week, he dropped the puck to start a Kings’ game.
In the last several years, he’s been a finalist for TIME magazine’s Kid of the year, a CNN Young Wonder and spoken to 23,000 kids at WE Day. The H&M clothing company highlighted him in its global role models campaign, he’s been in ads for Old Navy and Mack Trucks and he did a Got Milk commercial.
He’s traveled worldwide, speaking to kids about caring for the planet and the oceans.
He scoured the bottom of the ocean floor off Monaco with Ocean X, an ocean exploration initiative that brings information back from the deep sea, finding recyclables on the ocean floor. In Germany, Hickman joined others to help clean the water and banks along the Rhine River where they collected thousands of glass bottles that once contained soda.
His Project3R nonprofit – it stands for reduce, reuse, recycle – started in 2020 to lead beach cleanup events and provide education programs for elementary schools. Project3R gets grant money and donations from individuals and organizations that support his mission.
Related links
7-year-old Ryan Hickman has raised $10,000 by recycling to save sea lions
Nearly $300,000 raised to support the Pacific Marine Mammal Center and its expansion efforts
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At the Ocean Institute in Dana Point he started a program a year and a half ago in which elementary students clean the local beaches and then board the institute’s RV Sea Explorer, a teaching vessel, to learn about the watershed and how pollution affects it.
“I just teach about the environment and show the difference it makes,” Hickman said, adding that he hopes to expand with middle and high school grade levels. So far, more than 400 students from Orange County have taken advantage of the opportunity.
“We are so fortunate to work with him to bring local school groups to the Ocean Institute,” said Robyn Takeshita, the institute’s school programs manager, adding that she’s noticed Hickman is really good at connecting with his peers. “We think it’s amazing that Ryan continues his work and dedication as well as fundraiser money to help inspire the next generation to care about our ecosystems and become ocean advocates through hands-on experience.”
Along with organizing the volunteer cleanups, Hickman still walks T-Street Beach in San Clemente every Sunday evening, scooping up trash with his father.
“It’s fun,” he said of spreading the word to others and still keeping involved in the day-to-day cleanups. “People I talk to, it may inspire them, and they might organize a cleanup, too.”
Learn more at ryansrecycling.com.
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