Q&A with Schelly Marlatt, Executive Director of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful
Significant change arises from a series of small, committed actions, and that’s certainly apparent in Gwinnett County. Join us for a conversation about litter abatement, sustainability in schools, and how any group can transform graffiti into a work of art.
You’ve been with Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful for just over five years now. Have you always been passionate about the environment?
Yes, and back when I was a teen, I used to volunteer for Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. I’ve always been passionate about people and communities, and before I took on this role, I worked as section manager of Gwinnett’s solid waste division. When Connie Wiggins decided to retire after leading the organization for 30 years, the board of trustees reached out to me and asked me to consider applying. I loved my job, but knew this would be a great opportunity, and felt excited about the possibility of filling Connie’s shoes. She left behind an amazing legacy, and I thought, you know what, let’s do this. Let’s see where we can go over the next 30 years. The stars just aligned, and it all came together.
This is our community; this is our planet. We need to take care of it. No one wants to live in a dirty or unkept place. People thrive where they feel good and where they feel at home. I’m passionate about that, and also feel like we need to leave this place better then we found it. You have to pay it forward. I want to leave this planet better for my kids, my grandchildren, my family, my friends…the world in general. The community is what you make of it. You’ve got to be invested in its overall health and vibrancy.
If you had to name your favorite project or event, what would that be?
One that we haven’t had in a couple of years due to COVID-19 is our Governor’s Environmental Address. It’s a catered lunch where attendees get to hear from the governor, and it also includes an awards ceremony. I love bringing 1,000 people who care about our community into one room, from politicians and state representatives right down to business leaders, college students, and high school students. Every year, we recognize a business, community partner, school, and government entity, and we also have the Connie Wiggins Legacy and Jim Steele Environmental Education Scholarship, the latter of which is named for our founding chairman.
The last time we were able to host the event, we honored Mason Elementary, which is one of our Green and Healthy Schools and a National Green Ribbon STEM school. They’ve made environmental sustainability education a common thread in their overall culture. They were one of the first to get involved in our Food Waste Warriors project, which diverts waste through sharing tables, composting, and food cooperatives, and they have outdoor learning gardens. Students there are learning critical and creative thinking skills and preparing to be the next generation of informed decision makers. Charity Recycling was another one of our recent winners. They recycle textiles and partner with us through the Gwinnett County school system to place collection bins. They place sensors inside their containers that notifies them when they’re full, so they never overflow, which is pretty cool. They’re the only textile company in the country to invest in that kind of technology.
That’s so innovative! Why is improving Gwinnett’s environment important to you?
I grew up in Gwinnett, so of course it’s near and dear to my heart. I want to leave it better than I found it. Gwinnett’s slogan is ‘vibrantly connected’, and I think it takes a collective effort for everyone to come together to lessen litter, combat illegal dumping, and generally improve the appearance of the community. They always say Rome wasn’t built in a day, or that it takes a village. It absolutely does. We recently partnered with Habitat for Humanity, the Gwinnett County Police Department’s Gang Task Force, and a big group of volunteers on a beautification project. We selected five locations just riddled with graffiti and broken fences and got together to fix them. We painted them fully, and on top of that we added a clear coat of this product called VandlGuard®, which is neat because if someone comes back and tags the area, all you have to do is spray cleaner on it and wipe it off. We provide that now for the police department, and we’re also collaborating with artists to do murals along walls that have been heavily marked with graffiti. We also decided to offer Great American Cleanup projects (a Keep America Beautiful program generally held March through June) all year long. If somebody wants to plant flowers in their neighborhood, or a tree, or rent a dumpster for a cleanup, we’ll help out by funding the project. You just have to submit an application.
Volunteers beautifying a local street
What does your affiliate look forward to in the future? What further impact do you hope to see?
We have high hopes for our “Connecting People and Places: A Community Conversation about Litter” event. Keep America Beautiful knew we were working on different ways to combat litter, so they asked us to host a pilot panel for the community. It will be run by a professional moderator, and we’ll have everyone from subject matter experts to regular citizens to people who might not even think litter is a big deal. We want to bring everyone together for a community conversation, with the hopes that when they walk out the door, they’ll understand that they are part of the solution and can help by picking trash up when they see it and telling other people to stop. It’s scheduled for March 23 and will be in-person as well as virtual.
We also just want to continue to increase community involvement. We have a household hazardous waste drop-off event coming up in February, which usually collects about 78 tons of material. We have 242 Adopt-a-Road locations, and other programs people can participate in. Residents can also just feel free to give us a call! It can sometimes feel like Grand Central Station over here, but locals repeatedly tell us how grateful they are knowing that someone is going to answer the phone. We’re always happy to help.
Any advice for people looking to make their communities cleaner, greener, or more beautiful?
Of course, don’t litter! I’d also contact your local KAB affiliate and see how you can get involved with them. Take pride in where you live, and then commit to it. Volunteering doesn’t even take as much time as you think. You just have to be the example you want to see, and go all in. Even just a little bit helps!