When his age mates were likely just getting to grips with their roles in the world as young ones, Vanis Buckholz, at the age of 10 had already made his mark on the world with his very own recycling business.
Beginning at the age of 7, when in elementary school he learned about the benefits of recycling during Earth Day, young Vanis noted how much reusable material was actually being discarded and decided to help out. That was how the young eco-entrepreneur’s business, My ReCycler, was born in Corona del Mar, California.
According to Vanis, the name “My ReCycler” was inspired by his “cycling” or riding his scooter to pick up trash in the town, to be taken home for recycling. He also admits that it was his family’s principle of not polluting the environment that has now grown into this business. Three years down the line, My ReCycler has seen significant expansion around the region such that he now delivers a truckload of recyclables to the recycling center.
In an even more impressive move, Vanis elected to donate some of the proceeds of his business to Project Hope Alliance, which is an organization for underprivileged and homeless children. Vanis explains why he decided to donate, saying, “It’s so easy to do nothing. But it’s really good to do something! I always tell my new customers that ‘every little bit matters’. Even ONE bottle helps. I love my job. I’m a very lucky kid but there’s a lot of kids who don’t have much luck.”
Jennifer Fiend, Executive Director of the organization was very appreciative of young Vanis’ efforts and support, as well as his sterling example. Vanis also earned further accolade from Keith Curry, the Newport Beach Mayor, who called him “a very outstanding entrepreneur”.
