Halloween is over, but don’t trash your jack-o’-lantern — compost it. Here’s how
It’s the day after Halloween and the pumpkin on the doorstep is looking deflated, a telling sign that it’s time to get rid of the jack-o’-lantern. Instead of tossing it into the garbage can, pumpkins can be dropped into the green bin along with your food scraps so it can be turned into compost.
Farmers in the U.S. have harvested more than 1 billion pounds of pumpkins combined per year, according to recent data by the U.S Department of Agriculture. About a fifth of the pumpkins that are grown are used for food production, leaving a majority of them for Halloween festivities in October, the U.S. Department of Energy said.
If pumpkins are not disposed of properly, they’ll end up in the landfill to decompose and release methane gas — a greenhouse gas that plays a role in climate change.
On Nov. 5, Los Angeles Councilmember Katy Yaroslasvky and the Los Angeles Board of Public Works will host the first Great Pumpkin Bash at Pan Pacific Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; a family event aimed at keeping pumpkins out of the landfill.
The community is encouraged to bring their pumpkins to be smashed in the Pumpkin Smash Zone presented by the L.A. Dodgers. After the pumpkin corpses are pummeled they will be composted.
Only days before Halloween, a truckload of pumpkins goes up in flames. Don’t worry, says the president of the pumpkin farm: There are plenty to replace those that gave up the ghost.
Aside from pumpkin smashing there will be kids activities, free food, free bike repairs and an electronic waste collection site.
The main message of the event is sustainability, with workshops on gardening and composting, where attendees can walk away with free compost kitchen pails as well as fruit and shade trees.
Yaroslasvky said it’s a fun way to educate the community on composting.
The city has a goal of diverting all of its green waste out of landfills by 2050, Yaroslasvky said, and in the average kitchen trash bag, about half of what is tossed in is compostable.
Having these conversations and events will help meet the city’s goals, the lawmaker said.
“The city of L.A. as big as we are, we’re a small part of the solution but we also need to show how it can be done and how municipalities across the country, even one as big as L.A., can really be serious about reducing our own carbon footprint,” she said.
If you can’t make it to the Pumpkin bash, the U.S. Department of Energy has tips on how to properly dispose of your pumpkin.
There is more than a trick or treat bag of candy to be consumed. Here are recipes for all of that leftover pumpkin.
Composting your pumpkin
Residents who have an open backyard or garden in need of compost can have an outdoor smashing session.
If a child is joining in on the smashing fun, make sure an adult or guardian is present.
Remove anything on the pumpkin that isn’t organic — that includes stickers, glitter, plastic pieces, and paint.
Place the pumpkin in the sun, which will help speed the composting process.
Gear up for any mess by wearing protective goggles, long sleeves and pants.
Grab your bat and start smashing the pumpkins. Once the pumpkin is crushed, spread it out in the garden and cover it with a layer or two of leaves.
If you’d rather toss your pumpkin in the green bin, make sure non-organic items — such as stickers or a candle — are removed from the pumpkin.
If a pumpkin has been painted, it cannot be composted and should be thrown in the trash.
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