Many think that a thrown-away pumpkin will break down and disappear. Not exactly. The reality is, pumpkins are organic waste that fills landfills, releases greenhouse gas methane during decomposition, and leaches water through trash piles to nearby waterways.
Green up Halloween by recycling pumpkins into compost at a free, outdoor Pumpkin Smash hosted by University of Illinois Extension on Saturday, November 7th from 10 a.m. to noon at Sauk Valley Community College next to the Dillon Mall. Park in the east SVCC parking lot and walk south along the sidewalk towards the solar panels. Please do not park along the entrance road.
When jack o’lanterns are past their prime, many end up in the trash. Bring your pumpkins—that are free of candles, stickers, glitter, yarn and any other synthetic decoration—to this fun, community event for all ages! We’ll divert pumpkins from the landfill, where they can contribute to producing the greenhouse gas methane. Instead, participants will SMASH them with different tools and they will become compost for the pumpkin field.
Smash stations will include a trebuchet, mallets, battering ram, pinata style and more! Then, when your pumpkin is pulverized, take a rest by playing pumpkin-themed games and enjoying other family-friendly activities provided by 4-H, Extension Master Gardeners, and other community organizations.
This event will happen rain or shine. No cost or registration is required to attend. For questions, contact Bruce J. Black at brucejb@illinois.edu, 815-632-3611.
Find the full list of Extension Pumpkin Smash events happening across the state in early November at go.illinois.edu/PumpkinSmash.
About Pumpkin Smash: Illinois Extension’s smash events are in collaboration with SCARCE, an Illinoi environmental non-profit that started Pumpkin Smashes in 2014. Illinois Extension joined the effort and hosted its first Pumpkin Smash in 2019. According to SCARCE, Illinois Pumpkin Smashes have composted more than 1,250 tons of pumpkins in the past 10 years, reducing greenhouse gas by 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. These events have also diverted over 300,000 gallons of water from landfills.
About Extension: University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state’s land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide.
Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.
SOURCES: Kathryn Pereira, local food systems and small farms educator, Illinois Extension; Emily Steele, media communications manager, Illinois Extension, in “Have a smashing good time composting Halloween pumpkins.”
