They see it all over Snohomish County: Piles of garbage along with shopping carts, mattresses, broken chairs — things that belong in the transfer station and not on the sides of roads. From April to October, the Litter Wranglers collected those items and more than 3,400 bags of trash alongside nearly 500 miles of county roadsides.   

“We know our residents and visitors expect us to keep our roadways as clean as possible, since they take us to some of the most spectacular places on the planet,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said in a news release. “Through six seasons, the Litter Wranglers have helped maintain the natural beauty of Snohomish County. I continue to be impressed by the problem-solving skills of our staff and their commitment to making a difference every single day.” 

Snohomish County Public Works maintains more than 1,600 road miles throughout the unincorporated areas of the county. The Litter Wranglers started as a pilot program staffed by seasonal Solid Waste division employees in 2017 to 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. The crew wasn’t activated in 2020 due to COVID restrictions.  

“The Litter Wranglers is among the most popular programs in the county,” Snohomish County Public Works Director Kelly Snyder said. “County residents are so generous with their praise for our crews. These employees have such a positive impact on our communities.”  

Since its inception, the Litter Wranglers have collected more than 28,000 bags of litter from county roadways. 

The five-person crew has 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 2024. 

For more information about the Litter Wranglers, visit www.snohomishcountywa.gov/litter.