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CityAndStatePA .com
December 2021
Trash Talk A Q&A with Terrill Haigler, a/k/a ‘Ya Fav Trashman’ By Harrison Cann
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When you realized you wanted to make a difference, how did you come to the idea of having your own truck and hauling business? Just knowing the process of what it takes to get illegal dumps removed out of the city, I
Haigler became a social media sensation when he showed his followers the real deal of the garbage business.
just believe that if I can have my own hauling company that I could be a help or be an additional option for Philadelphians. The city is struggling to get off the illegal dumpings and short dumpings and to prevent them from happening. I figured if we’re going to be hauling construction and demolition, I can get some of these illegal piles that the city hasn’t gotten to yet. Many people might not know much about the issue of illegal dumping in the city. Can you explain how construction and demolition dumping has be-
come such a widespread problem? The issue is that the housing market in Philadelphia is booming right now. Everyone is doing development and rehabs and DIY projects. But, the counter issue is that it costs $120 a ton to dump at a dumpsite. So, if you’re a demolition crew who’s just starting out and you’re charging maybe $700, $800 or $1,200 for your demo, and you take six tons, that’s about half of your profit. People are finding ways to not pay for dump costs, which means they’re going to neighborhoods they deem dirty and
HIBBARD NASH
ERRILL HAIGLER, a community advocate and former sanitation worker, wants to put trash in its place. Haigler, known around Philadelphia as “Ya Fav Trashman,” made a name for himself during the pandemic calling out the working conditions of sanitation workers in the city. After garnering social media attention and raising money for PPE, his work made its way to the national spotlight. Haigler’s got much bigger plans now. His own hauling business, Ya Fav Hauling Service, is set to begin this month with one dump truck. Outside of the everyday trash issues Philadelphia faces, many of its neighborhoods deal with illegal and short dumping. These garbage piles, often left by construction and demolition crews after projects, pose both health and safety risks to communities in addition to the eyesores they create. City & State spoke with Haigler about the ongoing issue, his new hauling business and how he wants to change the trash can culture in the city.
