Halloween has come and gone, the good candy has been pilfered from the treat bags, and the pumpkins might be headed for the trash can. Not so fast, says the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
What to do with those slowly rotting jack-o-lanterns is a perennial question around this time of year. EGLE encourages people to compost pumpkins to reduce the amount of waste in landfills and to help nourish the soil.
EGLE recommends starting your own compost heap if possible and using it year-round to recycle food and garden scraps into rich soil. If that’s not possible, they recommend seeking out community composting options.
Aaron Hiday, statewide composting coordinator at EGLE, is encouraging composting for both individual households and communities.
Compost bins can be purchased at home improvement stores or can be constructed with things like old pallets and scrap wood.
Donating pumpkins to a farm with livestock could be an option as well, as most local livestock, like cows, sheep, horses, and chickens love pumpkins.
Visit the links below to learn about composting facilities in St. Clair County and state-wide.
https://recyclesearch.com/profile/michigan-directory/places?q=food+scraps
https://www.stclaircounty.org/offices/landfill/recycle_cmpstdrop.aspx
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
