By Sheree Hoddinett
There’s nothing stopping Xander – the can collector. With an infectious smile and a growing passion for conserving the environment, young Xander is on a mission to make a difference, one can at a time.
What initially began as somewhat of an interest in recycling has now grown into a business venture for the 12-year-old. Xander, who lives with autism, spends his time collecting cans and other containers from throughout the local community. Chances are you may have even come across him and his mum Kristie out collecting or even spotted one of his well-placed collection bins. So, how did Xander the can collector come to fruition?
“Xander first began collecting when he started home schooling,” mum Kristie explains. “For us, this was a good way to get him out socialising, helping to improve his speech and communication skills, be an active part of the community and help save the environment.”
It all kicked off in September 2023 and in that time according to Xander they have managed to collect “a lot” (way too many to count) while supporting local community groups and charities in the process. He has donated to the Heart Foundation and regularly donates to community group DV Community Matters.
“Last year we lost track of how many containers he did in a year,” Kristie said. “But on a low weekend, his average is around 3500 containers - a good weekend is over 5000 containers. During the week it varies, sometimes it can be around 1000 or more. He had one week prior to Christmas which was over 8000 containers - it's quite impressive.”
Although he’s based at Kallangur, Xander’s collecting travels take him far and wide, including Ningi and Beachmere, out to Dayboro, across to Sandgate, Scarborough, Clontarf and all the suburbs in-between.
“I just want to go everywhere there is cans,” Xander said. “I like collecting, I get to meet people and then taking the cans to Containers for Change at Lawnton and seeing my friends there.”
Xander’s dedication and passion for recycling even earned him the 2024 Containers for Change program’s ‘Young Change Maker of the Year’ award. This is an award recognising young Queenslanders for making a positive impact on their community, the environment or a charity.
“I'm so proud of how far Xander has come in the past 16 months,” Kristie said. “I still secretly cry some nights once he’s asleep. He is such a kind hearted boy, he loves seeing everyone when he is out collecting and he loves being able to pay it forward as much as he can. I love knowing that he is creating something much bigger than just a hobby. I also love seeing how excited he gets to learn more about the environment and what happens with the containers once they have been recycled.”
Long-term, Xander is working towards purchasing a van, so he can collect even more and have multiple regular pick-ups.
“Having a van will make collecting daily a lot easier for Xander,” Kristie said. “We want this to be a business for Xander, setting him up with life skills which will help him live an independent life. To keep paying it forward as much as he can to the community and teaching him that if you can be anything in this world to always choose to be kind.”
You can lend your support to Xander by:
Following his Facebook page (Xander the can collector) and leaving a comment to encourage him.
As a business - They are always looking for new businesses to jump on board and be more environmentally friendly. They have bins available that can be used to support this venture.
In the community - if anyone has containers they don’t want and would like Xander to collect, please message via the Facebook page.
Events – providing bins at events is on the agenda for this year. If you can assist, please get in touch.
“From Xander and myself we want to thank the community for supporting his journey so far,” Kristie said. “It's important to me to teach Xander that although school wasn't the right fit, it doesn’t mean he can't achieve everything he wants to in life.”
To find out more, you can follow Xander the can collector on Facebook.
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