MILWAUKEE — Every morning, 3-year-old Hunter Meyer is out looking for trash other people left behind. 

He takes morning walks with his mother, Katie Haws, and they pick up any unwanted garbage in their neighborhood. 

You could say Hunter knows a thing or two about waste management. He certainly looks the part with his neon waste management hat and vest.

He’s been picking up trash for a couple of years. Haws said it started during the pandemic.

“Someone gave him a garbage can, like a little toy, and that escalated his obsession,” said Haws. 

She said they frequently pass by garbage trucks, but recently, he was surprised by Milwaukee sanitation crews. Waste management work Jay Washington showed Meyer how a garbage truck works.

“It really brightens my day when a kid can wave at my truck, and I can blow at him and make him smile,” said Washington.

Picking up trash goes beyond just Meyer’s neighborhood. He said his goal is “a clean city.”

While Meyer has lots of time before he can be like Washington, he said he’ll settle for his morning walks, picking up trash and his toys. He also said he’s extra excited his Halloween costume — a garbage truck.