Waste Free Greenwich will host the second annual Great Pumpkin Rescue on Saturday, November 18, from 1 to 4 p.m., at Living Hope Community Church, 38 West End Avenue, in Old Greenwich.
Sponsored by Curbside Compost, the event aims to collect pumpkins for composting and raise awareness about food waste. Last year, they diverted 2,000 pounds of pumpkins from landfills.
This family-friendly, free event will feature a pumpkin toss and lawn games, including pumpkin bowling, spooky ring toss, pumpkin bean bag toss and gourd tic tac toe. There will also be a raffle for chances to win prizes that will help families cut household waste. A team will also conduct demonstrations to share tips about backyard composting.
Pumpkin drop off is rain or shine. Lawn games are weather dependent.
What Is Acceptable?
Jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins and gourds only. No other food scraps or other organic material will be accepted at the event. No paint, glitter, googly eyes or candles. These items will contaminate the compost during processing.
Don’t trash them!
If you can’t join The Great Pumpkin Rescue, bring your pumpkins and gourds for composting to the designated drop area near the yard waste section at the the Holly Hill Resource Recovery Facility during hours of operation. Alternatively, remove the seeds and place them in backyard compost. They can also be left in your yard for animals to enjoy! Please do not place pumpkins on the streets – only leaves should be collected with the Town’s Leaf Collection Program.
Scary Facts About Pumpkins
More than 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins are sent to incinerators & landfills annually in the U.S. Diverting this material from incinerators cuts the pollution generated by burning waste that negatively impacts public health. When left to decompose in a landfill, that food waste produces methane gas, a greenhouse gas that’s far more potent than carbon dioxide.
Pumpkins and gourds are 90% water and are full of nutrients. Composting this organic material captures these nutrients and water, creating a soil amendment to benefit our parks, gardens and farms.
For more information, visit https://www.wastefreegreenwich.org/events/2023/11/18/the-great-pumpkin-rescue
