The Recycling Kid: How 9-Year-Old Ethan Fourie Inspires Budding Environmentalists.

The Recycling Kid Team

On many weekends in Port Elizabeth, you’ll find 9-year-old Ethan Fourie putting on his gloves, wagon in tow, alongside his dad. His mission? To collect discarded bottles, plastic, and rubbish scattered around his community. He calls himself proudly “The Recycling Kid.”

What makes Ethan’s story remarkable is not just his age, but his passion for it. While most children his age spend weekends at sports or video games, Ethan dedicates his free time to helping the environment. He explains why: “Recycling helps ecosystems survive, sea creatures survive, it helps everyone.”

A Young Activist With a Big Mission

Ethan has made it his mission to encourage recycling and environmental awareness, particularly among his peers. At Kabega Primary School, where he is known for collecting large volumes of recyclables, he helps the school gather items such as glass bottles, PET plastic bottle tops, plastic bread bags from Sasko, and bread bag tags. The school participates in Sasko’s recycling competition, which last year earned them a new jungle gym for the after-school class.

For Ethan, it’s about much more than prizes. He says, “Since everyone is littering, you just must keep on recycling.” His brand, The Recycling Kid, has the cutest logo—a raccoon—symbolising the way he collects discarded items, much like raccoons rummage through rubbish. It has become a familiar sight on social media, as his Facebook page steadily gains followers.

Where It All Began

Ethan’s journey into recycling began in preschool. Inspired by the efforts of other children, he began collecting waste himself. His family is central to his mission: his mom acts as the “production manager,” his dad jokes that he’s “the motivation behind Ethan,” and together they turn recycling into both a routine and a source of fun.

One of Ethan’s favourite moments was when he got to fold Sasko bread bags and toss them into the air like confetti while making a video with his mom. It was both playful and purposeful—a reminder that while his mission is serious, he is still very much a child.

His inspiration also comes from role models such as “Save a Fishie”, another young environmentalist based in Cape Town. They follow each other on Facebook, and recently he was invited to join her in the beach cleanup she organised this year in Port Elizabeth, on Youth Day (16 June). His other role model is a 16-year-old activist, Ryan Hickman, whom he also follows on Facebook. At school, he finds inspiration from Dr Adele Botha, who leads Kabega Primary’s environmental activities.

Dr Adele Botha and Ethan

His Recycling Routine

Ethan collects glass and other recyclables almost every day. Sometimes with his parents’ help. He is also supported by local restaurants that save their glass bottles for him. Everything is taken to Kabega Primary for collecting and further processing.

On weekends, he organises or joins larger cleanup initiatives with groups like WESSA, the Pick n Pay School Club, and the Kabega Park Primary group, Groenspore. And in his quieter moments, Ethan experiments with creative recycling projects, such as weaving black bags into pencil cases.

Not all of his peers share his enthusiasm. “Yes, let’s do it,” they say, but often don’t follow through. Despite this, Ethan perseveres, determined to lead by example.

Challenges and Determination

One of the biggest challenges Ethan faces is apathy. Many children and adults see recycling as too much effort. But Ethan is undeterred. “I’m never going to give it up until I go to study marine biology at university,” he says with determination.

His commitment comes from a deep sensitivity to the damage caused by litter—how it clogs waterways, harms ecosystems, and kills animals that mistake plastic for food. These realisations keep him motivated, even when it feels like a lonely battle.

Making an Impact

Ethan’s efforts are beginning to have a ripple effect through his community. Local businesses recognise him and donate their recyclables to his school. At cleanup events, strangers approach him to offer support—even handing over carloads of glass bottles for him to recycle.

Teachers, too, see his potential. Dr Adele Botha believes Ethan is destined for recognition, saying she is sure he will one day qualify for the WESSA Youth Person of the Year Award.

His contributions extend beyond awareness—the glass collections prevent glass from entering landfills, reduce the risk of veld fires, and conserve energy by making recycled glass available to producers. Recycled glass is more energy efficient than producing new glass from scratch.

The collection of glass from the Kabega Primary School domes by The Glass Recycling Company.

Recognition and Pride

Though Ethan is humble about his achievements, his work has already earned recognition. He has won the Pick ’n Pay’s National Hero Award for environmental awareness, and he came second in the P.E. Express Young Heroes campaign. He has also been featured on Bay FM radio.

Despite these accolades, his proudest possessions remain the recycling badges he earned through the school's recycling programme—symbols of hard work and dedication.

Ethan receiving his National Hero Award from Pick 'n Pay

A Message for Other Kids

For children who want to start recycling, Ethan’s advice is simple: start small. Even recycling something as ordinary as eggshells can make a difference—dry them, crush them, and use them as a cleaning abrasive. Bottles, plastics, and plastic bottle caps are also easy to recycle and can be the starting point for a recycling journey.

“We have to work together to get the environment cleaner and healthier, so that the animals can live, and ocean life can live. Also, it is about helping the Earth go back to normal.”

Looking Ahead for The Recycling Kid

Ethan dreams of becoming a marine biologist. “Instead of cleaning, I want to explore the ocean. I just want to go for it. Swim with the sharks. Swim with the whales,” he says. One day, he even hopes to see a goblin shark and discover new sea species.

But for now, The Recycling Kid remains firmly committed to his community and his cause—showing that even the smallest hands can make a big difference.

“If kids like me start recycling, maybe we can show the grown-ups how to save the planet.”