After Halloween, keep jack o lanterns out of landfills at SIU’s pumpkin smash

October 16, 2024

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. - When the trick-or-treating is over and you don't need your jack-o-lanterns anymore, rather than trashing them in landfills turn them into compost at Southern Illinois University Carbondale's The Great Southern Illinois Pumpkin Smash on Nov. 9.

It's a fun, entertaining way to dispose of pumpkins and other decorative gourds, and it's free and open to the public. Organizers say it's a family-friendly activity and all ages are welcome.

Just bring pumpkins or decorative gourds - free of candles and added decorations such as stickers, glitter, yarn or other synthetic materials or contaminants - to the SIU Farms Service Center at 2704 Union Hill Road, anytime between noon and 3 p.m. that day. You can chuck your pumpkin, catapult it, drop it from a tower or smash it with a mallet.

"Hundreds of people enjoyed last year's inaugural pumpkin smash, we wanted to do it again," said Aimee Lemrise, SIU sustainability director. "Each year, about a billion pounds of pumpkins are grown in the United States, and millions of them end up in landfills where they can cause issues, including increased methane emissions. The vegetables are 90% water, which makes them great for composting and soil enhancement, so SIU Sustainability is partnering with SIU Student Sustainable Farm, Jackson County Health Department and Green Earth Inc. to bring back this popular composting event."

Benefits are numerous

The smashed pumpkin remains will be taken to the university's Forced Air Composting Facility on Pleasant Hill Road and kept out of landfills. This year, something new has been added to the event. Participants can bring their own container, such as a 5-gallon bucket, a large bag, coffee can, etc. and take home their own finished compost.

For those who don't have time to stay and enjoy the smashing fun, there will be a drop and go spot.

Advance registration is appreciated, although not required. Sign up online.

Volunteers are also needed and can sign up online. Volunteers will receive T-shirts, lunch and drinks as a token of appreciation for their efforts, and SIU students can earn volunteer hours toward the Environmental Ambassador Award.

For more details about the pumpkin smash and other SIU sustainability initiatives and activities, visit the website.

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