Don’t waste Jack O Lanterns, compost them at pumpkin smash events throughout Chicago | Chicago News

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Here’s some horrifying information, as if Halloween wasn’t scary enough yet. After the holidays, thousands of tonnes of abandoned Jack-o-Lanterns end up in a landfill in Illinois, where they are eventually disassembled and contributed. Methane emissions.

Its eerie statistics are the inspiration behind the annual Pumpkin Smash event, encouraging people to compost the gourds instead of throwing them in the trash.

The suburban-based organization Scarce hosted and almost collected the first pumpkin drive in 2014. 10 tons For pumpkin compost. By 2020, 49 sites will participate and the amount will be Soar to 159 tonsAccording to the organizers, some sites are twice as large as the previous year.

In 2021, Scarce aims to further develop its success. On November 6, people can drop pumpkins in dozens of places in the Chicago area (View map).

NS University of Illinois Extension Cook County sponsors five Chicago sites and is open from 10 am to 2 pm.

— Plant Chicago, 4459S. Marshfield Avenue.

— Gary Comer Youth Center, 7200S. Ingleside Avenue.

— Chicago Vocational Academy High School, 2100 E. 87th St.

— Lakeview High School, 4015N. Ashland Avenue.

— Chicago Agricultural Science High School, 3857 W. 111th St.

Chicago Additional Sites:

— Edgewater Environmental Union and Andersonville Chamber of Commerce, 6040 N. Clark Street, Noon-4pm

— Solorio Academy High School, 5400 S. St. Louis Avenue, 9 AM to Noon.

Pumpkins should not have candles, stickers, glitter, yarn or synthetic decorations. Pumpkins decorated with water-based paint are acceptable.

People are increasingly becoming aware of the need to divert food waste from landfills, but Illinois extension educators Warning of some well-meaning but unwise alternatives Pops up on social media. These include suggestions for leaving pumpkins in fields and natural areas for wildlife and feeding domesticated animals.

Neither is appropriate, according to extension staff. For starters, it is against the law to throw anything into private property or nature reserves. Beyond legal implications, pumpkins can choke native plants and, when discarded, are prone to mold growth, creating unhealthy microhabitats where they are dumped.

According to the extension, in the case of animals, pumpkins are not part of the normal diet and can cause digestive upheaval.

Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]




Don’t waste Jack O Lanterns, compost them at pumpkin smash events throughout Chicago | Chicago News

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