Each year, millions of Halloween pumpkins are sent to landfills throughout the United States

VANCOUVER – When Halloween celebrations are over, residents can compost their pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns to give them new life.

Each year, millions of Halloween pumpkins are sent to landfills throughout the United States. In landfills, pumpkins and other organic wastes produce methane, a greenhouse gas at least 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. By composting pumpkins instead of disposing of them in the garbage, residents can return the nutrient-rich material to the earth instead of letting it waste away in the landfill. To further reduce waste before composting, residents should consider saving and toasting pumpkin seeds for a healthy snack, and pureeing the pumpkin to use in fall recipes.

Clark County residents have several options for composting their pumpkins:

• Free drop off: Pumpkins can be taken to a We Compost Community Hub for free composting. Community hubs are open to all residents year-round and accept all food scraps. Locations can be found on the We Compost webpage at clarkgreenneighbors.org/we-compost.
• Curbside yard debris service: Clark County residents who subscribe to curbside yard debris service can dispose of pumpkins in their yard debris carts in October and November. Residents in the cities of Vancouver and Ridgefield who subscribe to curbside organics service can dispose of pumpkins in their carts any time during the year. Residents in Camas and Washougal cannot dispose of pumpkins in their yard debris carts at any time of the year.
• Backyard compost: Pumpkins can be chopped into smaller pieces and added to backyard compost bins or piles. Residents can learn how to backyard compost at the Clark County Composter Recycler program’s fall workshops. Workshop information can be found at clarkcountycomposts.org/.

Before composting carved or decorated pumpkins via any of the methods above, all paint, glitter, decorations, wax and candles must be removed. Residents planning ahead to compost their pumpkins are encouraged to use water-based paint that can be easily washed off. Less washable paint and decorations can be removed prior to composting using a peeler to remove decorated skin. If paint or other decorations can’t be removed, the pumpkin should be disposed of in the garbage.

Residents can learn more about sustainable pumpkin disposal at clarkgreenneighbors.org/pumpkins.

For information about road and park projects, closures, opportunities for community input, and more, residents can follow Public Works on X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and Instagram and view information on Nextdoor. Residents can also visit clark.wa.gov/public-works to sign up for email notifications.

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Information provided by Clark Co. WA Communications.