This National Recycling Week, Stone & Wood is turning its Byron Bay brewery into a hub of ideas, inspiration and good vibes, inviting the community to roll up their sleeves and dive into the circular economy through film, music and some hands-on crafty workshops.

Running Thursday 13 and Friday 14 November, Stone & Wood’s Circularity program explores how creativity, curiosity and connection can drive more sustainable futures, from the materials we use to the way we share skills and stories.

The two-day celebration begins on Thursday with a screening of the film Future Council and panel of local thinkers and changemakers, discussing how regeneration can work in practice. Doors from 5:30pm, with live music in the courtyard and food available for purchase from local legends 100 Mile Table.

Friday’s Afternoon Delight brings the action to the brewery floor with knock-off beers, live music and upcycling and repair workshops with some of Byron’s favourite brands.

Visitors can take part in a Recycle & Upcycle Drive with RecycleSmart, dropping off up to two shopping bags of tricky-to-recycle items such as e-waste, soft plastics, textiles, batteries and coffee cups and enjoy their first beer on the house for pitching in.

Then it’s time to get creative with workshops including Sew Good! with Atmosea and Stone & Wood, transforming fabric offcuts and malt bag scraps into beach bags and mini totes; hat upcycling with Fallen Broken Street, reworking “deadstock” hats into unique creations; Repair Your Wears with Patagonia, sharing mending and patching techniques; off-cut upcycling with Dusty the Label, turning waste material into scrunchies and giving off cuts a second life; and a bottle cutting and reuse demonstration with Shedding Community, turning old bottles into glassware and planters.

Walking the talk, Stone & Wood will also unveil Re-In-Can-Ation, a new can made with an average of 83% recycled aluminium, plus low-carbon, zero-virgin aluminium, created in collaboration with Visy, Novelis and Rio Tinto. The 18-month pilot is expected to produce around 15 million cans and deliver an estimated 59% reduction in carbon emissions compared to the brewery’s previous packaging. A limited number of the new cans will be on hand at the event as a tangible example of how small design changes can have a big cumulative impact.

All proceeds through November will support Shedding Community, a local not-for-profit that fosters skill-sharing, repair culture and connection in the Northern Rivers.