Teddy Michaelides, a seven-year-old from Netley, Hampshire, has turned a local recycling problem into a campaign involving thousands of plastic confectionery tubs. Teddy began collecting the tubs after learning that the plastic containers used for sweets, chocolates and crackers could not be recycled through normal household collections in his area. He gathered more than 2,500 tubs over the 2024 festive period, according to the BBC, and his campaign later became part of Greene King’s Tub2Pub recycling initiative. Teddy subsequently set himself a target of collecting 5,000 tubs. On 16 February 2026, the BBC reported that he had surpassed that goal, with a total of 11,233 tubs. His efforts have also earned him a British Citizen Youth Award and resulted in a recycled-plastic buddy bench being given to his school.
Teddy began collecting tubs that could not go into his normal recycling
Teddy started his campaign after discovering that the confectionery tubs used during the Christmas period could not be placed in his household recycling collection. The British Citizen Award says he learned that the tubs were ending up in landfill because they could not be recycled through normal means in his local area. He began collecting the containers so they could instead be sent through the Tub2Pub recycling scheme. His family helped him gather them, while members of the local community also contributed tubs to his collection.By January 2025, the British Citizen Award said Teddy had collected more than 2,500 tubs. The BBC later described the haul as more than 2,500 tubs collected over the 2024 festive period. The campaign earned him the nickname “Sweet Tub Teddy” and attracted wider attention as his collection continued to grow.
His collection became part of the Tub2Pub recycling scheme
Teddy’s tubs were collected through Tub2Pub, a recycling initiative run by Greene King with recycling partners including co-cre8. The scheme collects plastic confectionery tubs and processes the material into new products, including outdoor furniture. Co-cre8 says money raised through the initiative goes to Macmillan Cancer Support. The organisation has also documented Teddy’s involvement specifically, describing how his collection was recycled and used to create a purple buddy bench for his school.The bench was presented to Teddy at his primary school and carries a plaque recognising his contribution to Tub2Pub, alongside Greene King, co-cre8, DCW Polymers and Macmillan Cancer Support. The project gave Teddy a physical reminder of what had happened to the plastic he had collected, turning the material from his recycling campaign into something that could be used by pupils at his school.
He more than doubled his 5,000-tub target
After his initial collection of more than 2,500 tubs, Teddy set a new target of 5,000. His family continued gathering tubs from the local community, with the growing collection eventually taking up substantial space around their home. In December 2025, the BBC reported that tubs were being stored in areas including the family’s loft, spare room and the boot of Teddy’s mother’s car. But the 5,000 target did not last long.On 16 February 2026, the BBC reported that Teddy had collected 11,233 tubs, more than twice his target. The total was revealed at The Fleming Arms pub in Southampton, where columns of tubs and their lids were stacked around him. Teddy said he was surprised and overjoyed when the final figure was revealed. He thanked the people who had supported his collection and said his ultimate goal was to “stop plastic pollution completely”.
Teddy’s campaign has received national recognition
Teddy’s recycling work has also been formally recognised. In October 2025, he received a British Citizen Youth Award Medal of Honour at the Palace of Westminster. The British Citizen Award’s official October 2025 Roll of Honour lists Teddy Michaelides BCyA among the recipients. The organisation describes him as a young environmental campaigner who began collecting confectionery tubs after learning they could not be recycled through normal means in his local area.The award came as Teddy’s campaign was expanding beyond his own collection. The British Citizen Award said he had created additional collection points and encouraged family and friends to participate, while his efforts had also inspired people in his local community to become more conscious of recycling. His campaign has therefore grown considerably from its original purpose: finding another route for plastic confectionery tubs that could not go into his normal household recycling. By February 2026, the BBC had recorded 11,233 tubs in his collection, while his school had received a bench made from recycled material from his efforts.
