Urban Biofilter partnered with Merritt College, West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, Oakland Maritime Support Services and OT-411 (Oakland Trucker-411) to launch a micro-industrial urban greenbelt demonstration project at the Port of Oakland. Our inaugural bamboo planting in August 2009 occurred at  OT-411, the hub of independent West Oakland truckers which provides rest-stop facilities, services and parking for truckers. In addition to helping truckers mitigate their impact on the air quality of West Oakland by providing space for trucks to park away from residential streets, OT-411 also hosted the outreach and testing facilities for several local non-profits focused on air quality issues.

Urban Biofilter’s bamboo biofilter project creates a new precedent in facilitating collaboration between environmentalists and industry. This micro-industrial bamboo plantation is strategically located to filter air pollution from transportation and industry and demonstrates how untapped local resources, including treated wastewater and vacant lots, can be used to improve quality of life in neighborhoods facing the most acute health impacts from air pollution.