How to Compost Your Halloween Pumpkins

We are in that time of year where pumpkins adorn every porch on the street. All those pumpkins must go somewhere when they start to go bad. Because of that, one billion pounds of pumpkin gets tossed into America’s landfills each year. That is a truly scary fact! Our pumpkins don’t have to head to the landfill though, they can be composted!

When choosing your pumpkin, look for one with a longer stem if you need it to last longer.

The most important part of composting a pumpkin is making sure it’s clean before putting it in the pile. Make sure to remove all the seeds and any non-compostable decorations like bows or stickers. If you melted candles inside the pumpkins, make sure to remove all candle wax.

If you have painted pumpkins, you will have to remove all the paint before composting. There are a few methods of removing paint. If you are planning to paint your pumpkin, but haven’t yet, choose acrylic or kids washable paint for easy cleanup. Kids washable paint will take a few extra layers while painting, but will easily come out with water and rubbing it off with a washcloth. Vegetable oil can be used on most paints. Apply it to a washcloth and rub the paint off in circular motions. If those methods fail, use a vegetable scraper to scrape off the layer of pumpkin skin with paint on it and then the rest of the pumpkin can be composted.

If you used an acrylic clear sealant on the pumpkin, it will not be able to be composted unless you scrape off all of the skin before composting it since you cannot tell where the sealant is. There are other ways to extend the life of your pumpkin with a few other choices. Set your pumpkin in a shaded and dry spot to keep it from decaying faster from the heat from the sun or the water from the rain. If you are carving your pumpkin, take out the seeds and guts and let it dry for twenty-four hours before cutting the pumpkin because the moisture of the inside and the exposure from carving can lead to faster rot.

Keep your pumpkin moisturized without water by rubbing the skin around the carving with olive oil or coconut oil every few days. Putting some peppermint essential oil on your pumpkin will make your pumpkins smell nice, but is also anti-fungal and can deter pests. Keeping your pumpkins off the ground helps reduce your chance of pests. If you do see a lot of fruit flies hanging around your pumpkin, place a shallow dish of wine near your pumpkin. The flies will be attracted to the smell of fermented fruit and will get trapped. Plus, it’s a great excuse to buy some wine for the holidays!

You can also trade out your real candles inside for battery powered ones. This will keep the inside from drying out too much and causing your pumpkin to rot faster and you can reuse the same candles year after year so you only have to purchase them once.

When you know you have a clean pumpkin and are ready to compost it. Break it into smaller pieces. You can head out and attempt to throw it on the pavement to break it into smaller pieces or use a large kitchen knife. You can set these pieces outside in the sun for a few days before adding them to your compost pile and it can take up to three months for them to fully break down after being added in.

If you aren’t sure about throwing it in your own compost pile or want to add to the fun, mark down November 6th from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on your calendar. Dalton Brewing Company and Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful will be hosting the DBC Smash Bash on King Street downtown where you can bring your pumpkin to smash it in one of the smash zones and it will be composted by DBC. Plus, they’ll be having some games and contests as they unveil their new name for their “Mango IPA.”

Whether you have a painted, carved, or natural pumpkin, you can enjoy it for the season and dispose of it responsibly this year instead of sending it to the landfill!

Amy Hartline is the recycling and education program coordinator for the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority. Have a recycling question? Contact her at (706) 278-5001 or ahartline@dwswa.org.