Teen's can recycling venture raises funds for charity

Ryan Hulance, a 13-year-old from Solihull, England, has turned a simple recycling idea into a community-wide initiative that has raised thousands for charity. His project, We Can CIC, collects aluminum cans and uses the proceeds to support food banks and other organizations Source: infobae. Since starting at age 10, Ryan estimates he has recycled around 1.5 million cans, generating about £18,000 (approximately $24,000) for good causes Source: lavozar.

How it started

Ryan began by asking local businesses to save their cans, initially storing a few hundred each week at home. The family even crushed cans by driving over them until the operation outgrew that method Source: lavozar. Today, We Can CIC receives about 20,000 cans weekly from around 200 regular suppliers, and Ryan dedicates up to 20 hours per week to the effort Source: infobae.

Impact and growth

The project has donated to organizations like the Anawim women's support center in Birmingham Source: infobae. In the last year alone, Ryan processed eight tons of cans, contributing around $7,500 to charities Source: infobae. The Aluminium Federation documented that We Can had processed over 8,000 kilos of cans by December 2024 Source: lavozar.

What's next

Ryan's mother says they aim to expand the network of suppliers to thousands, noting they can do much more Source: infobae. Despite his dedication, Ryan continues his studies, though he admits he sometimes would rather play video games with friends Source: lavozar.