Tyler stalks Styrofoam

Tyler Simpson convinced his parents and older brother to compost their food scraps into the yard waste at home. Now, he's working on restaurant owners, persuading them to switch from plastic to compostable take-out containers.

"In one million years, it'll still be there," Tyler says.

His mother, Jean Hamilton, prompts him. "The Styrofoam, you mean?"

"It doesn't seem right," he says. "We're consuming too much."

Tyler, a 9-year-old third grader at Pathfinder School, has started his own organization "Green To-Go." Armed with samples of paper boxes and cups, donated by Duke's Alki Chowder House, Tyler spent Wednesday after school in the Junction.

His mother warns him not every restaurant will switch.

He tells her, "That's not an option!"

It is quiet before the dinner rush. Tyler goes door-to-door with one colleague, Dane Jacobson, a 10-year-old fourth grader. At first, Tyler shuffles his feet, avoiding eye contact.

"We're trying to tell people to not use Styrofoam," Tyler mumbles.

Guadalupe Murguia, assistant manager at Puerto Vallarta, fails to hide his smile.

"And can you tell me why?"

Dane pipes in. "Because it's bad for the environment!"

Tyler finds Puerto Vallarta and Taqueria Guaymas use plastic take-out containers, but Easy Street Cafe and Mishiko use paper. Though Husky Deli uses Styrofoam trays for meat and cheese, a manager said he is testing compostable utensils made from corn.

Uptown Espresso, home of the velvet foam, uses paper cups, recycles glass and composts coffee grounds.

Dane jokes, "Wouldn't it be funny if it was 'home of the Styro foam'?"

Tom Tum Koong uses plastic. Because Yummy Teriyaki is a chain, the man behind the counter said he can't switch.

Tyler has been recycling more since he saw An Inconvenient Truth in the theater. At home, Tyler shows off his copy of the book, a present from his uncle.

"He was really, really into that," says his mother. "He's like a miniature Al Gore."

After Christmas in Atlanta, Tyler couldn't find recycling bins for their newspapers, cups and "the bags for these really excellent cookies the hotel had." He packed it all home to Seattle for proper disposal.

"Tyler collects little things in his pockets to bring home and put in the yard waste," his mother says. "I have to be careful before I do his laundry."

Two weeks ago, a mother of a friend of his brother's "talked about green stuff," telling Tyler about paper take-out boxes. He spent a whole day researching "compostable containers" on the Web, asked friends at school to join, and picked a date to canvass.

"I told him he should tell his mother first," she says.

Recycling and food scraps are Tyler's self-appointed chores at home.

A plate beside the kitchen sink has a crumpled napkin and two crusts of toast.

"These are compostable," he says, and pries the lid off a quart-sized reused yogurt tub. It's already full. So are the recycle bins under the counter.

"It's time those were taken out," calls his dad from the living room.

"I respect him for what he does," says his dad, Terry Simpson.

"I admire his tenacity," says Hamilton. "It's nice to see him learn that little things can make a difference.

"And we're very proud of him."

In the Junction, Tyler's spiel improves with practice.

"We're a large group of people who wants restaurants to stop using Styrofoam to-go containers because it's bad for the environment."

Elliott Bay Brewery and Pub composts, recycles, and donates its tired fry oil to make biodiesel. A manager says the owners even invest in wind energy.

At Maharaja, rice and soup is sent home in paper containers, but Lee's Asian Restaurant and Be's Restaurant both use Styrofoam.

Tyler wants to take his message farther, to restaurants on Alki and in the Admiral District. He wants to convince one of his favorite places, Pailin Thai, to stop using Styrofoam for take-out.

Every Sunday, Tyler's family eats out at Puerto Vallarta. He brings his own containers to take leftovers home, refusing the restaurant's.

"Someday, you're going to invent something that will help save the Earth," Hamilton tells her son

Tyler replies, "Well, of course, Mom!"

Matthew G. Miller may be reached via wseditor@robinsonnews.com