Scoop: "Ya Fav Trashman" ups his trash game with new hauling service

"Ya Fav Trashman" is hauling his way to a trash empire.

Driving the news: Terrill Haigler, a city sanitation worker-turned community activist better known by his Instagram handle, is launching a full-service trash hauling business this month.

• Haigler hopes the effort will alleviate the city's trash problem and hold contractors accountable for where they dispose of their waste.
• "We're trying to be the Amazon of hauling," Haigler told Axios.

Why it matters: Philadelphia has long struggled with trash collection, and the issue has only gotten worse during the pandemic.

• The areas most affected are in some of the city's poorest neighborhoods in North, West and Southwest Philadelphia, according to the city's Litter Index.

How it works: The new service will remove material at construction and demolition sites and haul it away to a certified dump, Haigler said.

• The service will offer monthly subscriptions for $3,500 and tackle single projects for $500 each.
• Haigler intends to publicize a list of contractors that use his service as a sort of "preferred vendors list" to let people know what businesses dispose of their trash responsibly.

What he's saying: Haigler said the addition of a 25-yard trash truck in the coming weeks will allow him to enhance his neighborhood clean-up efforts by taking away debris and litter himself, instead of relying on city trucks to do the job.

• "It just gives me more opportunity to make an impact with my own trash truck," he said. "If I have my own truck, I can just move freely."

Between the lines: Clearing trash and greening vacant lots has been found to significantly reduce gun violence and crime, according to a 2018 study.

• It can also boost outdoor socialization and perceptions of safety, the study found.

The big picture: Haigler's long-term goal is to reduce illegal dumping and trash in the city, which he hopes will lead to a drop in poverty.

• "Eliminating the amount of illegal dumps and short-dumping in Philadelphia will create spaces for other nonprofits and other community leaders to create green spaces for developers to build affordable housing," he said.