What's a Pumpkin Smash?
Since 2014, the DuPage County-based non-profit SCARCE has been working with Chicago-region municipalities, community groups, educators and others to coordinate post-Halloween pumpkin collection events called pumpkin smashes. The goal of these events is to send the collected pumpkins to composting facilities so that they can be transformed into valuable compost instead of going into landfills.
2024 Pumpkin Smash Events/Opportunities:
See the SCARCE website for the map of all locations and to search by zip code. Smashes in an near Kane County are listed below.
Whole month of November: drop your pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks and leaves off for free at the Pushing the Envelope Farm compost pile located at 1700 Averill Road in Geneva. NOTE: The Kane County Recycling Program will not be hosting a drop off event at this location like we have sometimes done in the past.
Saturday, November 2nd:
- Elgin: Hawthorne Hill Nature Center (28 Brookside Drive) AND Elgin High School (1200 Maroon Drive), both locations 9am - noon, event website (both locations)
- Aurora: Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry (1100 Jericho Road), 10am - noon, event website
- West Chicago: New Hope United Methodist Church (643 E. Washington Street), 9am - 1pm
- Bartlett: Metra Parking Lot (140 E. Bartlett Avenue), 9am - noon, event website
Saturday, November 9th:
- Geneva: Community Gardens at Prairie Green (west side of intersection between Bricher and Peck Roads), 9am - noon, event website
- St. Charles: St. Charles Department of Public Works (1405 S. 7th Avenue), 9am - noon
Why Compost Pumpkins?
Pumpkins are 90% water! Also, the nutrients that make pumpkins healthy to eat (potassium, calcium, magnesium) are also important plant nutrients. Why not return all that good stuff to nature by composting? In landfills, pumpkins decompose without oxygen releasing the potent greenhouse gas methane.
Best Practices for Composting Your Pumpkin
Carving: If you are carving your pumpkin and need to get rid of the "guts" before pumpkin smash events happen, many municipal waste programs allow residents to mix food scraps in with yard waste. See more about those programs here. You can also store pumpkin guts in the fridge or freezer and then bring them to a smash event. Roasted pumpkin seeds are a healthy, easy and tasty snack!
Preservatives: If you want to treat a pumpkin or jack-o-lantern to make it last longer or to discourage squirrels, soak it in a relatively harmless/safe chemical like dilute vinegar instead of a toxic one like bleach. Please do not use sealants or epoxies on any pumpkins that will be composted. While often relatively non-toxic, these products contain polymers. Pumpkins sealed with resin or epoxy can cause microplastics in compost.
Paint: If you choose to paint your pumpkin and compost it, tempura paint is the best choice because it is the most biodegradable. While relatively non-toxic, latex paint and acrylic paint contain polymers. Pumpkins with these paints on them can cause microplastics in compost. Spray paint contains toxic solvents and is the least desirable paint to use on a pumpkin for composting.
Stickers, Appliques, Lights and Candles: Any plastic stickers or appliques like googly eyes, gems, vinyl stickers, wigs, etc. should be removed, as should real/wax candles, battery powered LED candles, and any other light-making device prior to composting.
