Decorate now, recycle later.
Whether picking out pumpkins from a field or carving fun faces into them with friends, pumpkins show everyone it’s the fall season. What happens when it’s time to say goodbye as they melt on the porch?
Green up Halloween by recycling pumpkins into compost at a free, outdoor Pumpkin Smash offered from 10 am to 2 pm and Rader Family Farms in Normal.
No cost or registration is required to attend. For questions, contact Nick Frillman at (309) 663-8306
Find the full list of Extension Pumpkin Smash events happening across the state in early November at go.illinois.edu/PumpkinSmash.
About Pumpkin Smash
Pumpkins are an organic waste that produces the potent greenhouse gas methane as they decompose without oxygen in landfills. These decaying pumpkins also leach water that filters through the trash piles and pollutes nearby waterways.
This project is done in collaboration with SCARCE, an Illinois environmental non-profit that started Pumpkin Smashes in 2014. Since their start, the efforts have composted over 1,250 tons of pumpkins, reduced greenhouse gas emissions by over 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide, and diverted over 300,000 gallons of water from landfills. Find a full map of Illinois Pumpkin Smashes on their website at SCARCE.org/Pumpkins.
Pumpkin Smash Instructions
- Find a smash event site near you by checking out the calendar at go.illinois.edu/PumpkinSmash or SCARCE.org/Pumpkins.
- Collect pumpkins from the home, neighborhood, school, or workplace.
- Remove candles, ribbons, paint, and any other non-organic materials.
- Drop off pumpkins at a smash site on the date and time of the specific event. Each site may vary in the methods of smashing or depositing pumpkins available.
- The pumpkins are transported to a composting facility following the event.
Those who cannot attend a smash event may still be able to compost through their local trash provider, private service, or by starting a compost pile. Properly composted pumpkins do not produce methane and contribute to soil health. Learn how to get started composting at extension.illinois.edu/compost.