Charlotte: Pumpkin Drop-Offs For Compost

With Halloween less than a week away, the pumpkins on our front porch and in the house that have been carved are starting to look a little bit rough, especially if you bought them in September. Well, the carving of your pumpkin may be a masterpiece, but there’s no doubt that after Halloween, we need to get rid of it. But first, here's a little bit of history of the jack-o-lantern.

Jack-o'-lanterns carved from pumpkins are a yearly Halloween tradition that developed in the United States when Irish, Cornish, Scottish, and other Celtic-influenced immigrants brought their root vegetable carving traditions with them. It is common to see jack-o'-lanterns used as external and interior decorations prior to and on Halloween.

It is believed that the custom of making jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween time began in Ireland and Britain. In the 19th century, turnips or mangel wurzels hollowed out to act as lanterns and often carved with grotesque faces, were used on Halloween in parts of Ireland, Wales, and the Scottish Highlands.

There is a great way to recycle the pumpkin that makes a wonderful compost, and just like Christmas trees, we bring it to recycling centers after the holiday. Pumpkins can also be of good use as compost to fertilize our plants. Pumpkins that end up in landfills have a hard time breaking down because landfills don't have much oxygen to allow organics to decompose properly.

Fortunately, there are some places in Charlotte and surrounding areas, where you can bring your pumpkins after they have served their Halloween purpose.

We gathered some places in or around Charlotte where your pumpkins can be dropped off.

The NC Cooperative Extension, closest to Charlotte, is located at 206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, NC.

Drop Pumpkins or other compostable organic fall decorations at the NC Cooperative Extension and Arboretum Center between October 31-November 10, and November 23-December 4.

They ask that you remove candles, googly eyes, and any plastic. Bio-based paints only.

Scrap Daddy Composting is holding Pumpkin Smash 2023 on Saturday, November 4, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at The Vine Methodist Church, 2101 Belvedere Avenue in Charlotte.

Darby Acres is located at 9395 Hutchinson Lane, Charlotte, and they would love pumpkins for their pigs, porcupines, capybara, camels, and kangaroos to enjoy. The pumpkins can be carved or uncarved, but they need to be free of paint, ink, etc.