Oakland

Oakland Continues Bulky Block Parties to Curb Illegal Dumping

In an attempt to tackle a huge trash problem, the city of Oakland has made it a lot easier to get rid of bulky items for free.

This summer, Oakland started holding Bulky Block Parties, where people could drop off things like mattresses, tires and old appliances. The parties were such a hit that the city collected 157 tons of waste, including so many mattresses, the stack would have been seven times higher than the Oakland City Hall building.

The Bulky Block Parties will now be held on the last Saturday of every month, except for December, the city said.

"The biggest category of waste on our streets, illegally dumped, is residential waste," Mayor Libby Schaaf said. "So we’re hoping the last Saturday of every month, which is when people tend to be moving, this will take trash off our streets."

Alameda County supervisors also are launching an Adopt-a-Hot-Spot pilot program focused on monitoring Oakland’s illegal dumping hot spots.

Contact Us