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CHICAGO — With pumpkin-carving season behind us, Chicagoans can compost their gourds at environmentally friendly Pumpkin Smash events around the city.
Each year, the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation teams up with ward offices and neighborhoods to host 10 Pumpkin Smashes where neighbors can create compost that helps enrich soil. Composting keeps pumpkins out of landfills, which can be a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions.
This year’s Pumpkin Smash is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9.
Pumpkins brought to the event should be free of candles and decorations. Learn more here.
Pumpkin Smash events are at the following locations:
- Back of the Yards: Plant Chicago, 4459 S. Marshfield Ave.
- Edgewater: Chicago Fire Station 70, 6040 N. Clark St.
- Humboldt Park: Morton School of Excellence, 431 N. Troy St.
- Irving Park: Disney II Magnet School, 3815 N. Kedvale Ave.
- Lakeview: Lake View High School, 4015 N. Ashland Ave.
- River Forest, Illinois: Comer Crops Youth Farm, 7230 S. South Chicago Ave.
- Avondale: Carl Von Linné Elementary School, 3221 N. Sacramento Ave.
- Mount Greenwood: Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, 3857 W. 111th St.
The Pumpkin Smash events composted over 18 tons of pumpkins in 2022 and over 26 tons in 2023, according to the department.
More information is available on the City of Chicago website.
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