Pumpkin Smash

Save the Date! This year's Pumpkin Smash will be Saturday, November 2 & Saturday, November 9, 2024

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the 2023 Pumpkin Smash!

In 2023:

  • 95 Pumpkin Smash sites
  • Composted over 241 tons of pumpkins (that’s 482,000 lbs!)
  • Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 173.34 tons of CO2e
  • Diverted 51,828 gallons of water from landfills

Last year’s results are proof positive that little things add up. We hope that you will help us compost more in 2024 on Saturday, November 2nd or 9th!

 

What is the Pumpkin Smash?

The Pumpkin Smash is an annual effort by communities to divert pumpkins from landfills by providing locations for residents to drop-off jack-o-lanterns to be composted. It is typically held each year the Saturday after Halloween.  Don’t Trash it, Smash it!

SCARCE and the cities of Wheaton and Elmhurst hosted the first pumpkin collections in 2014, diverting over 9.31 tons of pumpkins from landfills and helping to improve composting laws in Illinois. By 2023, the Pumpkin Smash grew to over 95 sites across the state and a few around the country.

 

Why Keep Pumpkins Out of the Landfill?

Composting is nature’s way of recycling with many benefits:

  • Avoids landfill greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing organics (currently, landfills are the 3rd largest producers of methane in the U.S.!)
  • Produces a useful, nutrient-dense soil amendment
  • Pumpkins are 90% water which is great for our soil, not so good in our landfills

Since 2014 the Pumpkin Smash has…

  • Composted over 1253.6 tons of pumpkins
  • Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 926.9 tons of CO2e
  • Diverted 269,114.6 gallons of water from landfills

Help Compost More Pumpkins - Get Involved

Host a Pumpkin Smash

Host a Pumpkin Smash in your town to help your neighbors green their Halloween. Download our guide below.

Check out our guide to hosting your own Pumpkin Smash and sample fliers. Please note: the guide is specific to hosting in Illinois but similar procedures can be followed in most places.

How to Host a Pumpkin Smash Guide

Spread the Word!

Anyone can help spread the word that pumpkins should not go into the garbage. Below are flyers and tools that make it easy for you.

  • Print a flyer, and post it in your school, church, library, or any community bulletin board.
  • Print Trick-or-Treat fliers, and hand out fliers with your candy.
  • Share this page with your friends, business associates, and municipal leaders using email, Facebook, or your favorite social media.

Flyers
Our fliers are fillable forms so you can simply type in your location details. We’ve also provided space at the bottom on the letter and poster size to add logos or acknowledgements.  To save fliers after adding your information, print to PDF. View a sample flier filled out.

Letter Size Fillable Flier (English)

Letter Size Fillable Flier (Spanish)

11×17 Fillable Poster (English)

11×17 Fillable Poster (Spanish)

Trick-or-treat cards – fillable

More Resources

Pumpkin Smash word search – English/Spanish

Register your site today!

Are you hosting a Pumpkin Smash event in your community? Register your event to be added to our locator. It’s free!

 

 

Find a location near you:

Enter your zip code to find a location near you.  Most locations collect pumpkins from 9am-12pm on Saturday, Nov 9.  Some are also collecting on Saturday Nov. 2nd.  This list is continually updated as locations are confirmed.

      Learn about the Pumpkin Smash in our resources below

      Pumpkin Smash: Have Fun While Composting Video- Featured on WGN

      Pumpkin Smash interview with Kay McKeen on WDCB

      Three Ways to Get Students Involved

      Annual Pumpkin Smash results & photos: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016

       

       

      Gallery