4th-grader has built his young life around saving the planet thru trio of recycling programs

He may only be 9 years old, but Payton Lewis has a lofty goal: to get people to care about the Earth.

Payton has been working on this objective since he was 6 and hopes to inspire other children to do the same through his Payton’s Planet recycling initiative, which includes Payton’s Pails, Payton’s Pick Up Service and Payton’s Pals.

"It’s not just my planet, it’s everybody’s planet, and we should take care of it," said the fourth-grader, who attends John F. Kennedy Intermediate School in Deer Park.

It all began during an Earth Day celebration in his Copiague kindergarten class, followed by a trip to Costco, where Payton took an interest in people using the recycling machines, his parents said. Soon he came up with Payton’s Pick Up Service and began going to the homes of relatives and friends to collect their cans and bottles. Payton put some of the money into his savings and the rest was donated, said his father, Bradley, 41.

His mother, Shakira, 41, applauds her son’s selflessness.

"Nowadays people can be about themselves, and I think it’s important for kids to understand to not just care about yourself but to be compassionate and care about other people," she said.

After seeing cans thrown in the garbage, Payton came up with another idea: Payton’s Pails for recycling. His father helped him come up with a logo and soon he had green 30-gallon pails.

Michael Ferretti, director of strategic planning and safety for the Copiague School District, met with the then-7-year-old, who came dressed to the nines carrying business cards to pitch his idea for placing the pails in schools.

"He was like a 32-year-old in a 7-year-old’s suit," Ferretti recalled. "He was so wise beyond his years."

The district now has three of Payton’s Pails. Even after Payton and his family moved to Deer Park, he returned to Copiague this past summer, using the money from the bins to buy $100 worth of food for the district’s food pantry.

Payton sets up a booth at events, such as the recent Ujamaa Fest in Wyandanch, and asks people to take an environmental pledge and make a donation, which goes back into buying more pails, such as one he donated to Holy Trinity Baptist Church in Amityville.

"The whole goal is for people to take ownership of the pails and use the money for something that helps the planet in some way," his mother said.

Payton’s family is now working to establish Payton’s Planet as a nonprofit and has also launched Payton’s Pals, to get other children to start recycling programs in their own communities.

Payton, who loves to play basketball and football, has environmental ambitions beyond recycling. When he was 6, he became one of the junior ambassadors for the town’s beautification program — the youngest ever — to help the town with community cleanups.

"He’s still a little boy but he’s very clear on what he wants to do," said director Viscel Moore. "I can only imagine what he’s going to be 10 years, 20 years from now. He’s going to be a civic leader for sure and he’s going to round up the rest of the troops to get out there and take care of their community."

For now, Payton said, "I’m going to keep recycling and recycling and try to make a difference in the world."

By Denise M. Bonilla

denise.bonilla@newsday.comdenisebonilla

Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.