This piece was originally featured in Oakland Together, a monthly newsletter mailed to older Oakland residents.
Lynell A. Moore, also known as Red, is the “man to go get ‘em.”
This veteran of the Department of Public Works (DPW), Environmental Services, has made it his mission in 18 years as foreman to “get everyone on the same page about getting trash picked up and properly organized.”
Responsible for Oakland as a part of the DPW’s central division, Red goes to great lengths to keep our streets clean, even calling in backup from other divisions.
“They did their daily and come to give me a hand,” he says.
Red takes a proactive approach, letting students know what’s expected of them and making sure landlords have his number. “When you work with them, you get things done. If the landlords have a problem, they can call me before it gets out of hand.”
Neighbors should be aware that cardboard is a rising challenge. “This is the worst year I’ve seen for it. Everyone gets their home goods delivered now.”
Here are four tips from Liz Gray, Neighborhood Quality Consultant at OPDC, for properly dealing with cardboard.
Flatten boxes—garbage collectors don’t have time to do that
Put boxes in boxes—organize flattened boxes inside of a larger cardboard box
Keep it clean and dry—dirty and wet cardboard can’t be recycled
No bags—recyclables should be loose in your bin. Cardboard can be bundled
To share your trash and student conduct concerns and learn about remediation tactics, join this month’s Let’s Talk and Oakwatch on Sept 21.