Three Ways to Get Your Students Involved in the Pumpkin Smash

This year the Pumpkin Smash continues in the spirit of protecting the good health of our entire planet. Help us make sure this event is safe for everyone involved: Please wear a mask and be sure to mind your distance. If you or anyone you know is unwell, please stay at home. This is an outdoor event where risk of transmission of the coronavirus is low, especially when safety protocols are followed.

The annual Pumpkin Smash has successfully diverted over 380 tons of pumpkins from landfills – saving landfill space, hundreds of gallons of water, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sending tons of nutrients back to restore our soil. If you haven’t already gotten started, it may be a bit late to host a collection site but your students can still be involved in this awesome community sustainability initiative!

1. Volunteer Smashers Needed: It’s a great volunteer opportunity for upper middle school and  high school students. Many sites want to work with local students to help staff the event. Find a location nearest your school and reach out. Not sure who to contact? Email [email protected] and we’ll point you in the right direction.
2. Be a Pumpkin Smash Advocate – Help spread the word: Students of any age can print a fill-the-blank flier or poster, write in the local Pumpkin Smash info and share it – include it in your school’s virtual backpack. You can also send home Trick-or-Treat cards to share when handing out candy or out trick-or-treating.
3. Mobile Pumpkin Pick-up: Students can help divert pumpkins from the landfill by collecting jack-o-lanterns from neighbors and bringing them to their local Pumpkin Smash. Do a little outreach ahead of time by offering residents the drop-off service so you can simply drop by and grab their pumpkins on Nov 7th. In the past, groups have brought multiple car loads of pumpkins from their neighborhoods, performing a service for their community members and the planet.

If you would like to host a Pumpkin Smash location, mark you calendar for November 6th, 2021! In the meantime, you can review our How-to-Host guide so you are ready when fall comes around next year. Happy smashing!