When Sam Klein was still in kindergarten, he became fascinated with the things we throw away.

Now, at the ripe old age of 12, the missouri boy is a dedicated CEO of his own recycling business. He collects empty printer ink cartridges from local businesses, keeping them from the landfills, while earning hundreds of dollars by sending them back to manufacturers.

Even more impressive, Sam has given more than $1,000 to charity, helping those less fortunate than himself.

(WATCH the inspiring NBC video below, or read the story from TreeHugger)