Schreiber junior Sofia Leder founded a project called “Port Recycles” four years ago and continues to impact the Port Washington School District today. In eighth grade, she partnered up with Residents Forward, a non-profit organization in Port Washington whose goal is to foster a sustainable, clean, and beautiful community. Some of their most notable projects include leading the most comprehensive groundwater sustainability study on Long Island; putting in place new parks, gardens, and trees in Port; and expanding shoreline trails on the town’s waterfront.
“I came up with the project in 8th grade after being unsure of how to recycle properly myself. Many other people I knew were also expressing the same confusion and had a desire to learn the right way to recycle. I wanted to create a community project that clarified the often overlooked and confusing directions about how to recycle in our community,” said Leder.
Leder has worked closely with the organization’s educational director Mindy Germain on Port Recycles. Leder began the project with the intent of focusing on the Port Washington community as a whole, working with the Town of North Hempstead’s Commissioner for Solid Waste Management Marshah-Reaff Barrett. She also attended a handful of events throughout the community to educate people about proper recycling methods.
At the same time, Leder was working with the Port Washington School District to bring back recycling across the district’s schools, which was removed in 2019. Her initiative was a success, as the district restored recycling practices in Sept. 2024.
After achieving her goal, Leder created a new focus for Port Recycles: to educate students and staff in the district about the importance of recycling properly. That same month—and with the support of Schreiber principal Dr. Kathryn Behr—she gave a presentation to faculty and staff across the district on how they and their students could recycle the right way in their classrooms.
“Spreading awareness about proper recycling is important to me because it has so many benefits when done properly. I understand that there is a lot of misinformation and confusion about recycling and my project aims to solve that problem and answer questions people have about recycling. Presenting to all of the district’s faculty last year and being able to launch the school district’s renewed recycling program was an amazing opportunity,” said Leder.
Leder recently added custom-made, colorful labels to all of the recycling bins at Schreiber this year, with the help of the district’s director of facilities Mr. Brian Graham and Schreiber’s custodial staff, and through funding from Residents Forward. The labels, which she designed herself, are easily understandable to help students and staff recycle properly.
They display examples of common items seen in the school building, such as soda cans, coffee cups, or paper, and indicate whether they should be placed in the paper recycling bin, plastic and aluminum recycling bin, or the trash bin. Leder also hung Port Recycles posters in the hallways and student posting zones of Schreiber with even more information about recycling correctly.
“I hope to create even more recycling awareness at Schreiber by getting my recycling signs on the school’s TVs, conducting a teacher survey about recycling, and working with the Treehuggers Club to promote recycling more,” said Leder.
She uploads all of her recycling work in the community and within the school district on her Instagram page “portrecycles.” The account also includes information about whether or not to recycle different materials such as plastic—which includes seven types and only two recyclable ones—or paper cartons, and other general recycling tips.
“Seeing my project help and teach people has been very rewarding. At community events, many have told me how much they have learned from my project, with many also noting how their children now love to recycle because of my interactive recycling game for kids. Recycling is truly important in so many ways—it reduces waste sent to our landfills, conserves natural resources and energy, tackles climate change, maximizes tax dollars, protects animal habitats and reduces pollution in our water, air and soil,” said Leder.