How 12-year-old Vaughn, from southern Sydney, is really making a difference by recycling.

When 12-year-old Vaughn’s school asked students to get involved in a community initiative, his mum Barbara was hoping he would choose something that wasn’t too onerous on his time, that was easy for him to get involved in and that had an environmental aspect.

“I did cash for cans as a kid and when I suggested it, he loved the idea,” Barbara tells Mamamia.

Vaughn chose fundraising through Return and Earn, the container deposit scheme in NSW. The funds he raised by recycling bottles and cans for 10 cents each would be donated to Sydney Dogs and Cats Home.