When Halloween is over, carved pumpkins often move from the porch to the trash can. Across the country, more than 1 billion pounds of pumpkins are sent to landfills each year. (usda.gov) Unfortunately, when organic waste like pumpkins are buried, they break down without oxygen and produces methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas.
Here in San Diego County, there’s a better solution: pumpkins belong in your green organic waste bin! Under California’s organic waste recycling law (SB 1383), food scraps, yard waste, and other organic material must be placed in your curbside green bin to be recycled, composted or otherwise not end up in the trash. Instead of wasting away in a landfill, your pumpkin can be transformed into nutrient-rich compost that helps grow healthy soil, conserve water, and support local agriculture and landscaping. Getting your pumpkin ready for composting is simple.
Start by removing any decorations such as candles, wax, stickers, glitter, or paint that won’t break down naturally. Then place it directly in your green organic waste bin loose, in a paper bag or on top of yard waste. Remember: plastic bags, even those labeled “compostable,” are not accepted in the county’s waste collection system.
Organic waste make up about 40% of what San Diego County residents send to landfills. Redirecting that waste into the green bin not only reduces methane emissions but also creates valuable compost used to enrich soils throughout the region.
The cycle is simple: your jack-o-lantern becomes part of the next harvest instead of part of a growing landfill. This Halloween season, remember: if it grows, it goes. By composting your pumpkin, you’re helping reduce climate impacts, improve soil health, and contribute to a cleaner San Diego!
