Gus and I spent every Friday morning of the early pandemic months waiting in anticipation for garbage trucks. I was working from home and Gus was about to turn two, which meant nothing could get done unless he was thoroughly occupied. On trash days I would take my standing 10am call on the move – Gus strapped into the stroller as we followed the neighborhood trucks up and down the streets, maintaining a decent distance, and expertly muting myself during compacting.

I thought it was a pretty genius parenting move.

As quarantine wore on we found it harder and harder to keep the screen time down, so we were ecstatic when an adorable new show came to Netflix in November 2020 that gripped us all. Glen Keane’s Trash Truck! We’d been in a real Terrific Trucks rut, so the arrival of adorable Hank and his gang was truly refreshing. The show follows the human 6-yr-old Hank and his trusty friend Trash Truck, along with hilarious sidekicks Donny the raccoon and Walter the bear, and sweet Ms. Mona the mouse who can wrangle them all.

The show was created by Max Keane, the son of animation-veteran Glen Keane, and was inspired simply by a dad observing his toddler son’s love of trucks. It is literally a family affair. Max’s son Henry voices Hank, his daughter voices little sister Olive, Dad Glen is grandpa (and Trash Truck!) and his wife is the voice of Mom.

We were thrilled when season 2 debuted in May 2021! (We’ve even been known to watch the Christmas special off-season.)

And now having spread Trash Truck love to friends and family, we’re all eagerly awaiting season 3 (Come on, Netflix!)

 

Here are a few fun things for the trash truck loving kiddo in your life:

Waste Management Safety Vest

Youtube Garbage Truck Compilation and Blippi Garbage Truck

Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha

Grandma Drove the Garbage Truck by Katie Clark

Bruder Recycling Truck – This was a gift to Gus around his 2nd birthday and may have really cemented his love of the trash truck. It was his #1 fave for at least a full year.

Green Toys Recycling Truck. All Green Toys trucks are just adorable.

Hanna Anderson PJs – Perfect for my little recyclers

Official swag