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June 5, 2026

‘Kids for the Future’ campaign started by Plastic Free Boy

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Arlian, the Plastic Free Boy. Photo supplied.

Arlian, the Plastic Free Boy, is taking his message about reducing and reusing plastic to local schools and is asking them to get behind his ‘kids for the future’ campaign. School kids are being asked to make funny, short, futuristic videos that inspire people to rethink plastic as wells encouraging them to come up with funky and creative ways to recycle plastic.

Arlian showed his film Plastic Alarm to the Byron Bay Community School this week after first showing it at his own school, Byron Bay Public, last year.

At Byron Public School the kids were inspired to come up with new ways to recycle their plastic and join in cleaning up the beaches said his film maker mother, Karin Ecker.

‘Schools are coming on board and are happy to become part of the wider vision promoting the idea that it takes a village to raise our future generation towards a sustainable future. This time the young generation is at the heart of this active campaign,’ Karin said.

Local businesses and have been supporting Arlian’s call for a plastic free future and he has also been interviewed as part of the Dirt Girl series on ABC.

Arlian’s commitment has extended to helping shoppers understand the importance of reducing the use of plastic and in particular single-use plastic bags by running an education stall outside Woolworths in Byron last year.

‘This is so important for a better future of the kids,’ said Arlian.

‘If more plastic ends up in our streets and then in the ocean –  by 2025 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish and that is very scary to me.’

Arlian is asking the community to get behind his ‘kids for the future’ campaign that aims to ‘educate and change the status quo of plastic,’ said Karin.

‘This is about kids making a impact on a bigger level and asking their towns to change the way they use and recycle plastic.’

Make a film

Arlian, the Plastic Free Boy, presented his film Plastic Alarm to the Byron Bay Community School. Photo supplied.

Get your school on board and make a film about plastic, its impact and ways to recycle it.

‘There are prizes for the best movies that are submitted as well as the best recycling experiments,’ said Karin excitedly.

’The top films will be shown at a special event at the Byron Bay Community Centre later this year.’

Get your entires in by the end of April via the Plastic Free Boy website.



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Wardell Knit n’ Knat Group – 22 years of knitting and giving

Since 2011, 15 years, Dawn and Robert Sword have been entrusted by the Wardell Knit n’ Knat Group with the privilege of distributing the beautiful handcrafted rugs, scarves, beanies and other knitted and crocheted items they have made to people in need throughout the Ballina Shire.

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