Oakland’s “Bulky Block Parties” Return May 22

By Keith Burbank, Bay City News

Oakland residents can rid themselves of large trash items for free with the return this year of the Bulky Block Party, city officials said Thursday.

Starting May 22 at 9 a.m. and then on the last Saturday of the month, people with proof of residency can take large items to 7101 Edgewater Drive in Oakland to join the party until 1 p.m. The parties were suspended in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Bulky is back,” Mayor Libby Schaaf said at a news conference Thursday morning at the drop-off location. Schaaf said following a pilot program, the city is making the popular parties a permanent fixture of city life.

Residents can dispose of just about anything, including mattresses, appliances, and tires. But hazardous waste outside of those three items must be disposed of at a free hazardous drop-off event. Information about that will be provided at Bulky Block Parties.

The parties have been wildly popular, Schaaf said. One Saturday last year, more than 500 vehicles lined up to drop off items. “Take advantage of this resource,” said Councilmember Treva Reid, whose district includes the drop-off location. “Don’t miss this party.”

Schaaf said in recent years, more trash has been dumped on city streets. Oakland Public Works officials said that their crews perform more than 30,000 trash pickups each year, nearly three times what they did just 10 years ago and most of it is residential waste.

City officials are trying to make it as easy as possible for residents to dispose of unwanted items. “Please don’t trash our city,” Schaaf said. At the parties, community members for now are encouraged to wear a face covering and socially distance. Crews will assist residents with unloading bulky items at the parties.

Also at the parties, residents can get information about curbside Bulky Pickup service, which is free, too. Appointments can be made by calling Waste Management of Alameda County at (510) 613-8710 or by emailing them at csnorthbay@wm.com. Bulky Block Parties are for Oakland residents only. Business waste is prohibited.

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