Andover residents can smash their leftover Halloween pumpkins and turn them into compost at the town's first-ever Pumpkin Smash on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Andover Sustainability and Black Earth Compost are partnering on the event, scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon at the Rec Park parking lot, Patch reported. Residents can bring their jack-o'-lanterns, smash them on site and hand them over to Black Earth Compost, which will haul the remains to be turned into nutrient-rich compost.
The timing works for families: Andover Public Schools will be closed that day for Election Day.
Before heading to Rec Park, residents should strip their pumpkins of all candles, glitter and paint. Only clean pumpkins can go into the compost collection.
Beyond the smashing, the event will offer cider and donuts, a station for recycling Halloween candy wrappers and a chance to learn about local sustainability programs.
The Pumpkin Smash is the first event of its kind hosted through the partnership between Andover Sustainability and Black Earth Compost. The town has also worked with the regional composting service to offer residents curbside compost subscriptions at a reduced cost, according to the town's website.
Composting addresses a significant slice of Andover's waste stream. Food waste makes up 40% of household trash, according to the town, and waste overall accounts for 3% of Andover's greenhouse gas emissions. Diverting pumpkins and food scraps from landfills and incinerators cuts those emissions while producing soil that reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.
Black Earth Compost is a regional composting collection service that partners with the town on the curbside program. Residents interested in year-round composting can find subscription details at the town's compost program page.
The Nov. 3 Pumpkin Smash runs from 10 a.m. to noon at the Rec Park parking lot. Residents should bring cleaned pumpkins with all decorations removed.
