It’s hard to imagine what fall would look like in Midwest without pumpkins. Our beloved orange gourd is everywhere in the autumn, from our porches to our tables. Pumpkins have been part of North America’s legacy for thousands of years, long before pumpkin spice and jack-o’-lanterns became seasonal favorites. Indigenous Peoples of the Southwestern United States and Mexico cultivated pumpkins for food, and they are among the oldest known domestic plants. Today, Americans hold festivals celebrating pumpkins, eat them in every possible form, and carve them each Halloween.
A Big Orange Problem
Industrialized agriculture has increased pumpkin availability nationwide, and and according to the USDA, approximately 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins are purchased for Halloween annually. That’s the same weight as 100,000 African Elephants! Once Halloween festivities are over, about 1 billion pounds of pumpkins are sent to landfills. Pumpkin waste creates quite the problem – landfills lack the oxygen and necessary nutrients for pumpkins to properly decompose. Landfills are anaerobic environments (areas that lack oxygen), because they are designed to keep waste compact and stable, which doesn’t allow for the natural flow of oxygen. Organic materials like pumpkins sit in landfills and are eventually broken down by bacteria that produce methane, a major contributor to global climate change. Pumpkins produce 83 million pounds of methane a year sitting in landfills – roughly 1% of yearly methane emissions.
You Can Make an Impact
You can help make a dent in this gigourdmous problem by composting your pumpkin or disposing of it outside instead of tossing it in the trash.
Composting: Composing works through an aerobic process (a process that includes oxygen). Successful compost piles need oxygen, nitrogen-rich “greens” (pumpkins, kitchen scraps, grass clippings), carbon-rich “browns” (leaves, sticks, cardboard), water and heat to turn organic matter into compost. The resulting compost is a dark, nutrient-rich substance that provides soil, garden beds, or potted plants with key nutrients. Creating successful compost pile can be a commitment, so if you’re looking for an easier solution, try outside disposal.
Outside Disposal: Leave your pumpkin outside to naturally return to the earth or be eaten by animals. Pumpkins can also be buried in the ground so the soil can recover it’s nutrients.
Important Note: Only pumpkins free from decorations, paint, embellishments, and toxic materials are appropriate for composting our outside disposal.
Pumpkins are also delicious! Minimize your waste by eating some of your pumpkin. When carving your jack-o’-lantern, save the flesh and cook it. Seeds can be roasted with spices or just salt and pepper for a tasty snack.
Join MetroParks for Oh My Gourd!
We’re offering a fun take on pumpkin composting during “Oh My Gourd!”. MetroParks staff and the Lakota Robotics Club have each created a pumpkin launching device intended to send your jack-o’-lantern soaring into the fields of Meadow Ridge MetroPark to decompose naturally. This fun crossover is between engineering and the environment will be:
Saturday, November 7th
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Meadow Ridge MetroPark
Oh My Gourd! is offered at no cost, and all ages are welcome. Please BYOP (bring your own pumpkin) free of embellishments, paint, or other toxic materials. Click here for more information.
Compost Your Pumpkin with MetroParks
If you’re not able to make “Oh My Gourd!” but would like to donate your pumpkin to MetroParks to use at “Oh My Gourd” or to compost, drop-off bins are available now through November 5th at the following parks:
–Meadow Ridge MetroPark
–Rentschler Forest MetroPark
–Voice of America MetroPark
