In Türkiye’s southern province of Mersin, an 11-year-old boy named Aras Kayretli has inspired thousands of people through his social media campaign titled “I collect as much trash as my followers.”
Living in the Mezitli district, Kayretli launched a social media account with the support of his mother, Başak Gizdaş, aiming to raise awareness about environmental pollution and forest fires. Under his slogan “I collect as much trash as my followers,” he began sharing videos of himself cleaning up litter. His message quickly gained traction, and his account has now reached nearly half a million followers.
Taking advantage of the summer break, Aras wakes up early each morning to go outdoors with his mother. Together, they visit nature parks, green spaces, beaches, and coastal areas to collect waste that has been discarded in the environment. He fills bags with trash and disposes of them in bins, sharing the cleanup process on his account to continue spreading environmental awareness.
A sixth grade student at Zeki Koyuncuoğlu Primary School, Kayretli said that the campaign began with his mother’s encouragement. “My mom used to go for morning walks, and I decided to join her,” he explained. “When we saw all the trash left around in the evenings, she came up with the idea of starting a social media account. We made a video, not expecting it to get so much attention. We were both surprised by the response. I’m really glad my mom encouraged me to do this.”
Aras emphasized that his main goal was not to gain followers, but to draw attention to the importance of preventing forest fires and keeping the environment clean. “I want the environment to be more livable in the future,” he said. “Trash affects all of us. It makes me sad when people litter. I’d be happy if everyone took forest fires more seriously.”
His mother, Başak Gizdaş, added that they launched the campaign to draw attention to the trash scattered across public areas. “At first, we only shared the videos with our family and close friends,” she said.
“Then we decided to create a social media account. We never expected it to grow like this, and we’re still surprised. We’re patriotic people who care deeply about our country. The response has been incredibly positive," she added.
She continued, "Aras has started to be recognized in the community, and he’s very happy about it. Everyone congratulates us. People say things that make me feel proud as a mother. It’s the most beautiful feeling to be proud of your child. Aras has been raised with this awareness since he was a baby, and now we’re seeing the results.”
