Contact:
Matt Phelps Fay Lim
Communications Specialist II Communications Supervisor
Matt.Phelps@snoco.org Fay.Lim@snoco.org
425-388-3126 425-388-6413
Snohomish County’s Litter Wranglers Clean More Than 800 Road Miles,
Nearly 6,000 Bags of Litter Collected during 2021 Season
Litter Wranglers scheduled to return in spring for the 2022 season
EVERETT, Wash., November 2, 2021 – Smoke bombs, pianos, entertainment centers, wallets, and mannequins – these are just some of the items that the Snohomish County Litter Wranglers found during their return season to county streets in 2021. In total, the crew cleaned more than 800 road miles and collected nearly 6,000 bags of trash from April to October.
“The Litter Wranglers returned this year after missing 2020 and did an excellent job of maintaining our county’s natural beauty and ensuring we are doing all we can to protect our environment,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said. “The Litter Wrangler program is an example of how we innovate, solve problems, and continuously improve our service to the public.”
Snohomish County Public Works maintains more than 1,600 road miles throughout the unincorporated areas of the County. The Litter Wranglers collect and bag roadside litter for the road maintenance crews to pick up. This enables road maintenance to stay focused on maintaining and repairing vital infrastructure, saving both time and money.
“We are very proud of this program and the work of these staff members. That 800 road miles cleaned is equal to about half the total road miles we maintain, which is really impressive,” Snohomish County Public Works Director Kelly Snyder said. “They have found ways to be more efficient and have a greater impact each year.”
The Litter Wranglers came close to equaling 2019’s record year for bags collected despite having one less team member for the season. Overall, the program has collected more than 23,000 bags of litter from county roadways during four seasons.
The five-person crew of seasonal Solid Waste Division employees have been aided by Snohomish County residents calling and emailing about locations with excessive litter. The Litter Wranglers have been able to respond within less than a week to reported locations. The program is scheduled to return in Spring 2022.
For more information about the Litter Wranglers, visit www.snohomishcountywa.gov/litter.
About Snohomish County Public Works
Snohomish County Public Works is responsible for approximately 1,600 miles of county roads, more than 200 bridges and manages about 200 traffic control signals. The department also processes nearly 600,000 tons of garbage per year. Its mission is to focus on safety and mobility while practicing fiscal responsibility and preserving the environment. Public Works has won numerous state and national honors for its work and is the largest department within Snohomish County government with approximately 500 employees plus seasonal staff. Its main office is located at 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett, WA 98201. Visit www.snohomishcountywa.gov/PublicWorks or follow the department on Facebook and Twitter for more information about Snohomish County Public Works.