Pumpkin Smash

If you’ve ever left a jack-o’-lantern outside for a week or two, you might have noticed black blotches on its skin. These are produced by tiny organisms, like bacteria, that feed on the pumpkin. The grinning head shrinks and shrivels. That’s because pumpkins are 90 percent water. As the fruit decomposes, the water slowly evaporates, or turns from liquid into gas. 

After Halloween, many Americans toss their pumpkins in the trash. Each year, 650,000 tons of pumpkins end up in landfills. The gourds are buried under garbage. When food and plant-based waste decompose underground without any oxygen, bacteria release a gas called methane. The gas stays in Earth’s atmosphere, trapping some of the sun’s heat and contributing to climate change.

That’s why groups like SCARCE collect pumpkins. After the events, the smashed fruits are brought to facilities where they’re shredded and left in piles (see Gourd to Ground, below). Workers regularly flip the piles so that bacteria have oxygen and don’t release methane. This process is called composting. 

After about six months, the pumpkins turn into a material similar to dark soil that is rich in nutrients. When it’s added to gardens, it helps plants grow!

Leave a jack-o’-lantern outside for a few weeks. You might see black spots on its skin. They’re caused by tiny living things like bacteria. They feed on the pumpkin. The grinning head shrivels. That’s because pumpkins are mostly water. The water slowly evaporates. It turns from liquid into gas. 

Many Americans toss their pumpkins after Halloween. About 650,000 tons of them end up in landfills each year. The gourds are buried under garbage. There’s no oxygen there. That causes bacteria breaking down waste, giving off methane. This gas stays in Earth’s atmosphere. It traps some of the sun’s heat. That causes climate change.

That’s why groups like SCARCE collect pumpkins. They take the smashed fruits to facilities (see Gourd to Ground, below). There, they get shredded and left in piles. Workers flip the piles often. That exposes bacteria to oxygen. Then they won’t give off methane. This process is called composting. 

After six months, the pumpkins turn into a new material. It’s similar to dark soil. It’s rich in nutrients. It can be added to gardens. It helps plants grow!

Another eco-friendly way to get rid of your pumpkin is to donate it to a zoo. Several zoos, like the Oakland Zoo in California, collect pumpkins for animals to eat or play with. Elephants love to crush the fruits and eat them. The Oakland Zoo then composts the animals’ pumpkin-filled poop!

So what will you do with your Halloween pumpkin? By keeping it out of landfills, you can help the planet. “We can all be champions of the environment,” says McKeen.

There’s another eco-friendly way to get rid of your pumpkin. You can give it to a zoo. Several zoos collect pumpkins. One example is the Oakland Zoo in California. It gives the pumpkins to its animals. They eat and play with them. Elephants love to crush the fruits. Then they munch them. The zoo then composts the animals’ pumpkin-filled poop!

So what will you do with your Halloween pumpkin? Help the planet by keeping it out of a landfill. “We can all be champions of the environment,” says McKeen.