PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As Philadelphia continues to deal with its trash collection woes, one man in the city who has made quite the name for himself in sanitation has big plans to tidy up.
Hauling trash is not a glamorous job, In fact, it can be downright hazardous.
But it has to be done, and the city is struggling to get the job done. According to the Office of the Controller, on-time trash pick up has fallen behind each year since 2017, and the amount of trash has risen by 30% since the start of the pandemic.
That's where Terrill Haigler comes in.
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Lovingly known by his social media handle, "Ya Fav Trashman," Haigler has made it his business to clean up, as he says residents are fed up.
"I'm tired. Why does my neighborhood look like this?" he says about residents' feelings.
"I deserve better. I pay my taxes. Why can't my trash collection come on time?"
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Haigler says the problem is especially visible in certain areas of Philadelphia.
"In brown and black neighborhoods. North Philly, Southwest, parts of South Philly, West Philly, K and A, Kensington."
Haigler is starting his own trash hauling company which he says will help, so long as everyone gets on board.
"I need government to say yes, I need the street departments to say yes and the community to say yes," he said.
"If all three points on the triangle say yes, we're good."
Haigler has a new trash truck which can haul up to 11 tons. He said it will help with the illegal dumping problem, as his service will haul from construction sites and properly dispose of the materials.
He also said in the end, it's for the children and the community, and that it is his goal to get rid of litter by 2025 in the city.
"It's not a coincidence that the dirtiest parts of the city have the highest crime rate and then, in turn, has the lowest school attendance rate," he said.
