As the new school year has begun, students may have noticed some changes in the building. Apart from new teachers and harder classes, a new recycling program has been put in place throughout the school. Sophomore Sofia Leder has been at the forefront of this initiative since 2022, and is ecstatic that her idea has finally been picked up by the district.
The new recycling program is meant to help the environment. Recycling minimizes pollution in the environment and can contribute to sending less materials to landfills. By reusing the materials such as paper, glass, plastic, or metal, the school reduces the need for new raw materials. Recycling also means that less land is needed for garbage dumps, which helps to preserve the environment.
Recycling can also decrease pollution in the seas, such as when plastic is thrown into the sea and can be fatal to fish and other aquatic life. Recycling supports long-term sustainability, creating a cycle where resources are constantly being reused and renewed.
“I decided to pursue this recycling initiative because I noticed a lack of recycling information in my community, and that many were unaware about how to properly recycle. Knowing the importance of recycling and how easy it can be, I found it critical to the eco-friendliness of our community that households and schools were educated on how to properly recycle,” said Leder.
Leder began working on her recycling program when she was in eighth grade. She has been working with the Town of North Hempstead, the Port Washington Union Free School District (PWUFSD), and her mentor from Residents Forward, Mindy Germain, to push this initiative forward. Last year, the PWUFSD added recycling to the budget. The environmental groups that Leder is involved with had been pushing for this addition for some time, but the ultimate choice rested with the school board.
“I am very excited to bring back recycling to Schreiber, and I’m excited to see the students recycle their everyday items and hopefully make it a part of their lives. We hope to teach the students at Schreiber and the world that recycling should be part of their everyday routine,” said senior Isaac Graubard, president of Schreiber’s Tree Huggers Club.
Graubard, along with sophomores Brady Bailly and Leila Kahi, junior Daniel Ross, and senior Megan Zhou, have lobbied with Leder to encourage the school district to organize a new recycling contract with the town, hoping to bring awareness and personal responsibility to recycling.
Since the start of this school year, each classroom in the district has been recycling all paper, metal, and plastic products. The blue-topped bin is meant for paper, newspaper, and cardboard items, while the green-topped bin with two holes is for plastic and metal products, including cans and bottles.
“I’m really happy to see the recycling program has had new life breathed into it. I think we all — students and teachers alike — benefit from reminders about how to recycle properly…Recycling everywhere is important, not only because it eases the pressure to harvest resources by allowing us to re-use what we already have, but it also serves as training to remind us that individual behavior changes are required of all of us,” said science teacher Ms. Julia Brandt.
To help get the school district on board with her idea, Leder had the unconditional support of Principal Dr. Kathryn Behr.
“Dr. Behr and I have been in contact and meeting to work on creating a recycling education plan since last spring. She made it possible for me to present to Schreiber’s faculty in early Septemberand teach them about the importance of recycling and how to properly recycle in their classrooms,” said Leder.
This presentation to the school faculty was a key step in Leder’s process, as staff have the ability to lead by example, and this is one of the most influential ways to encourage students to follow in their footsteps, and keep our planet clean.
The recycling itself is being done through a company called Jamaica Ash. Everyday, the recycling bins are collected and switched in each classroom, while Jamaica Ash comes once a week to pick up all of the recyclable materials. Leder was able to get in touch with the waste management service with help from Mr. Brian Graham, Director of Facilities and Operations.
“My love for the environment and strive to create a more eco-friendly and sustainable community and planet has led me to create this successful project in our district that has already seen much success.,” said Leder, who encourages students to follow her on Instagram @portrecycles for more information and updates.