BUFFALO, N.Y. — Do you ever wonder what to do with your old pumpkins, and Jack-O-Lanterns when Halloween ends?
Buffalo River Compost has teamed up with local garden centers and composite sites throughout WNY to offer the community a free pumpkin collection.
The official number of pumpkins collected this year was 28.5 tons according to NOCO and Buffalo River Compost.
The idea behind the collection was to minimize all the pumpkin waste that typically ends up in landfills, and wanted to instead turn them into useful compost.
“Food waste, which includes the annual disposal of pumpkins, is a serious issue not only nationally but at the state and local levels, which is why Buffalo River Compost wants to be a part of the food waste solution here in Western New York,” said Alistair Holden, organics manager, NOCO. “Growing from two drop-off locations in 2022 to 10 locations this year magnifies the gravity of the food waste issue we see here locally. We hope to work with our local municipalities to continue our journey into solving the food waste crisis.”
This year's pumpkin collection happened beginning on Friday, November 3 ran through until Sunday, November 5.
Locations for pumpkin drop-offs included
- Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo
- Busy Beaver Lawn and Garden, 4415 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg
- Dearborn Street Community Garden, corner of Dearborn and Hamilton, Buffalo
- The English Gardener, 400 Harlem Road, Snyder
- Erie County Compost Site, 11581 Walden Ave., Alden
- Groundwork Market Garden, 1698 Genesee St., Buffalo
- Lud’s Landscaping, 320 Rhode Island St., Buffalo
- Masterson’s Garden Center, 725 Olean Road, East Aurora
- Pelion Gardens, 212 Best St., Buffalo
- Tripi’s Landscaping, 3812 South Park Ave., Blasdell
Pumpkins and gourds that are already decaying, and rotting were accepted but the group did not accept bleached, or painted pumpkins during the drive.
To learn more visit growwithtend.com