NAME: Mateo Lange, 15
LOCATION: Indian River, Michigan
Mateo Lange started a recycling drive in 2020 as a fundraiser for his baseball team. In just two weeks, his community donated 75,000 bottles and cans!
Those containers were each worth 10 cents—for a total of $7,500. That’s because Michigan is one of 10 U.S. states with a bottle deposit law. Customers pay an extra 10 cents when they buy most bottled and canned drinks. They can then get 10 cents back for each bottle or can they recycle.
The fundraiser was such a hit that Mateo has kept it going. To date, he has raised more than $250,000. He donates the money to youth groups in his community.
Mateo’s program has recycled more than 2.5 million bottles and cans—enough to stretch around one-third of the globe. The teen has been honored with many awards for his service. But he says his goal is just to help other people and the planet.
“Everyone’s got to step up,” Mateo says. “If you don’t do it, who will?”