Port Washington’s Louis Simon, 12, was troubled by the environmental effects of single-use plastics, so he took action by fostering an eco-friendly movement in his hometown.
“I wanted to reduce the use of single-use plastics because they are very harmful to the environment,” Louis said. “Not only to humans, but also tons of animals are getting hurt by this. Even if a species of fish in the ocean gets hurt, that messes up the whole ecosystem, so I feel like it’s really important to try to preserve that.”
In advance of his bar mitzvah, Louis took on an environmental service project to promote the use of reusable products at local eateries in place of single-use plastics.
Louis started his project about six months ago, starting with weeks of research into environmentalism and current laws and regulations surrounding take-out containers and single-use plastics.
His idea transpired from a desire to reduce the use of single use plastics, specifically at local restaurants that use them for takeout.
“I found that those big, plastic containers were wasteful and I thought that you could bring in your own container,” Louis said.
But due to health regulations, Louis found that this idea was not feasible.
So Louis pivoted, instead focusing his project on raising awareness of environmental sustainability by creating a list of local eco-friendly eateries.
Louis went door-to-door, restaurant-to-restaurant, engaging with local businesses to learn about their sustainability practices and, if fitting, ask if they would like to be featured on his list of environmentally-conscious restaurants in town.
Louis’ list includes local eco-friendly restaurants and what aspects make them environmentally conscious, including if customers can bring in their own cup for drinks or if compostable containers are provided.
Smusht, an ice cream shop located on Port Washington’s Main Street, was one of those businesses Louis walked into. Owner Steve Edelson partnered with Louis to take his project one step further.
Smusht hosted an Earth Day event with Louis, where customers who brought in their own reusable spoons would get a free topping with their ice cream. The event ran from April 22-28 with more than 60 people participating.
The Simon family friend Dave Kerpen also joined in Louis’ efforts, donating $20 to local environmental group Residents Forward for every selfie Smusht customers posted with their reusable spoon. More than $400 was raised.
“I was so inspired and so moved I wanted a way to support it,” Kerpen said. “…That a 12-year-old could inspire a town is such a wonderful thing.”
Louis also created the Plastic Reduction Pledge that individuals can sign onto and show their commitment to environmentalism.
While Louis’ project has come to an an end, he said he still plans to add more restaurants to the list in the future.
“I was really proud of him,” Louis’ mom, Carrie Simon, said. “He took an idea, he took something he was really passionate about and turned it into a project that got the community involved.”
Louis said he found his project to be a success and that he has ideas to continue his efforts even further by partnering with more local restaurants and expanding his list.
“It was a lot of hard work, but I realized that if you put your mind to something, you really can do it,” Louis said. “I wouldn’t have expected that I could have done something like that where I got a local restaurant on board and created a whole event.”
