He was only 10 years old when he began knocking at the door of the shops to ask for something that everyone considered garbage: the empty cans.
In Solihull, near Birmingham, Ryan Hulance decided to do something to help people in trouble after he realized the effects of the cost of life crisis and seeing his family help those in need of food.
He began to ask the activities of the area to set aside the cans they would normally throw away. Then he collected them with his family to start recycling.
At first the means were definitely crafted.
They picked up a few hundred cans a week and, to crush them, they set them up in the garage of the house and passed over with the car.
Then more and more people started to participate.
Shops, businesses and simple citizens began to store cans for Ryan. At one point there was also a fundamental donation: an industrial machine to press them.
That small family initiative became something much bigger.
Nacque We Can CIC, an enterprise of community interest that today collects thousands of cans every week thanks to the collaboration of companies and citizens.
But the true result is not only measured in recovered aluminum.
In about three years Ryan recycled 1,5 million cans, collecting altogether about 18,000 pounds, intended for food counters and organizations that help local communities.
In the last year it has recovered about eight tons of cans and destined approximately 8,000 pounds to a beneficial organization for women.
Ryan's 13 today.
And she admits something very normal for a boy of her age: sometimes she'd rather play video games or be with friends.
But then look at what he managed to build and continue.
Ryan didn't leave with great funding, machinery or organization behind.
He left an empty can.
Then another one came.
And another.
Until it reaches about a million and a half of cans and demonstrate how great a small idea can become when a community decides to support it.