Eugene, Springfield, and Veneta residents: compost your pumpkins in your curbside yard waste bins
Waste Wise Lane County—part of the Lane County Waste Management Division—urges residents with curbside yard waste collection services in Eugene, Springfield and Veneta to compost their jack-o-lanterns in their yard waste bins after Halloween.
“We want to remind folks they can put their pumpkins—and other types of food waste, including fruit, veggies, meats, and bones—into their yard waste bins,” said Lane County Waste Reduction Outreach Coordinator Daniel Hiestand. “Keeping food out of the landfill by composting helps reduce methane production, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. Composting is a huge help.”
One caveat for residents who compost in their yard waste bins is that pumpkins covered in non-organic materials must be thrown away.
“If organic matter such as pumpkins, twigs, or pinecones is covered in something non-organic like glitter, paint, glue, or twine, it can’t be mixed with yard debris,” said Hiestand. “Even with Christmas, people make beautiful wreaths with greenery and pinecones and then spray them with a glittery substance. The glittery stuff now means it has to go in the trash.”
Other post-Halloween pumpkin disposal alternatives
- Feed it to the birds, chickens, and/or worms.
- Bury it in a hole in your garden to enrich the soil.
Oregon pumpkin facts
According to the Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation:
- Oregon grows approximately 2,600 acres of pumpkins on just over 400 farms.
- Most acres are in Benton, Lane, Marion, and Multnomah counties.
- Oregon is in the top 15 states in the country for pumpkin production.
About Waste Wise Lane County
WasteWise Lane County offers education, tools, and resources that residents, schools, and businesses can use to reduce waste, conserve resources, and live more sustainably. Learn more about repair resources at fixitlanecounty.com