Boy Saves Over 2,500 Plastic Tubs From Ending up in Landfill

6-Year-Old Boy Saves Over 2,500 Plastic Tubs From Ending up in Landfills

By Emma Taggart on February 11, 2025

Tubs of chocolate treats like Quality Street, Celebrations, and Cadbury’s Heroes are sweet staples for families in the UK and beyond, especially at Christmas. But when 6-year-old Teddy from Netley in Hampshire, England, discovered that the plastic confectionery tubs couldn’t be recycled and would end up in a landfill, the news left a bitter taste in his mouth. The young boy decided to take matters into his own hands, and has now collected more than 2,500 plastic tubs in his garage.

Some areas in the UK can recycle these tubs through curbside collection; but unfortunately, Hampshire isn’t one of them. Teddy, who wants to be a marine biologist (or a stunt man) when he grows up, explains, “I’d heard we can’t recycle these tubs in our normal recycling bin but I wanted to change that so I can save the world.” The young David Attenborough fan adds, “We have one planet and we need to look after it.”

Teddy wrote to his school, which then sent a letter to parents, and with his mom, Laura, he put up posters in local shops to spread the word. He has also been personally collecting the sweets tubs from people’s houses, and has taken them out of public trash cans. He even got his grandad involved, asking him to go to his local dump to save any tubs people left behind.

The young environmentalist also campaigned on Facebook, calling himself an “eco-warrior on a mission” and highlighting how “hundreds of thousands of [tubs] end up in landfill or the ocean,” which helped rally even more support. Teddy’s mom reveals, “Every time we come home there's more tubs left on the doorstep, friends have told friends who've told friends and every tub makes the difference.”

Teddy’s efforts were inspired by the Greene King’s Tub2Pub charity appeal. The initiative invites plastic tub collectors to bring their collection to their local Greene King’s bars, restaurants, and hotels, where they will then be taken to a plastic reprocessing centre. Next, the tubs will be shredded, before being sold onto plastic manufacturers to use in place of virgin plastics. Plus, all funds raised from the sale of Tub2Pub plastics will be given directly to Macmillan Cancer Support.

“Teddy’s realizing now the issues we have, and is really keen on trying to get the message out there, and inspiring others to make a difference,” Laura says. “It doesn't matter what change you're making or how big or small, it does make a difference to our environment.” The proud mom adds, “People have been so supportive and kind getting behind him.”

This young boy’s environmental impact has been gaining traction, and he continues to push for greater good. Last year, he successfully collected 358 tubs, and set himself the target of 500 for 2025. He quickly “smashed” it, gathering an impressive 2,598 in just one month. Teddy will now take a well-deserved rest, saying, “I’m going to have a break. I’ve done it for two years straight!”