How Oakland is tackling its illegal dumping problem

Oakland is combatting illegal dumping around the city by hiring more people to work on the Oakland Public Works Garbage Blitz Crews. The city says they added a fourth crew in March to help tackle hot spots – places where there is a recurring dumping problem.

Before the Garbage Blitz Crew program started in 2018, workers were just responding to specific clean-up requests from community members. There are now 15 workers dedicated to cleaning hot spots in all of Oakland’s four “zones,” the city said. “The initial pilot focused on Council District 6 in East Oakland and produced encouraging results – areas cleaned regularly began to see less new dumping over time.

Here are some ways residents can help report illegal dumping:

• Dialing 311 or 510-615-5566

• Reporting online at 311.oaklandca.gov

• Emailing OAK311@oaklandca.gov

• Using the free OAK311 mobile app for Apple and Android devices

Oaklanders can also help clean the city by participating in pandemic-safe cleanup efforts as part of Oakland Earth Month,