Smashing pumpkins at Aurora food pantry Nov. 2
Discarded pumpkins will be recycled into compost at an outdoor Pumpkin Smash from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 2, at Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry, 1100 Jericho Road in Aurora.
The public is invited. Admission and parking are free. The event is in partnership with 4H Illinois Extension and SCARCE, an Illinois environmental nonprofit. The schedule includes:
Smash and recycle pumpkins to decrease pollution.
Enjoy fun games and fall-inspired activities with 4-H, Master Gardeners, and Master Naturalists.
Support neighbors by donating nonperishable food items to Interfaith Pantry.
No cost or registration is required to attend. For questions, contact Christine Birns, cbirns@illinois.edu or Andrea Farrier, farrier2@illinois.edu.
Find the full list of Extension Pumpkin Smash events happening across the state in early November at go.illinois.edu/PumpkinSmash.
About Pumpkin Smash
Pumpkins are an organic waste that produces the potent greenhouse gas methane as they decompose without oxygen in landfills. These decaying pumpkins also leach water that filters through the trash piles and pollutes nearby waterways.
Since 2019, when 4H Illinois Extension hosted its first Pumpkin Smash, over 50 tons of compostable waste have been kept out of landfills.
This project is in collaboration with SCARCE, an Illinois environmental nonprofit that started Pumpkin Smashes in 2014. Since then, the efforts have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 926 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and have diverted over 269,000 gallons of water from landfills. A map of Pumpkin Smashes on their website is at SCARCE.org/Pumpkins.
Pumpkin Smash instructions
Find a smash event site near you by checking out the calendar at go.illinois.edu/PumpkinSmash or SCARCE.org/Pumpkins.
Collect pumpkins from the home, neighborhood, school, or workplace.
Remove candles, ribbons, paint, and any other nonorganic materials.
Drop off pumpkins at a smash site on the date and time of the specific event. Each site may vary with the methods of smashing or depositing pumpkins available.
The pumpkins are transported to a composting facility following the event.
Those who cannot attend a smash event may still be able to compost through their local trash provider, private service, or by starting a compost pile. Properly composted pumpkins do not produce methane and contribute to soil health. Learn how to get started composting at extension.illinois.edu/compost.
For a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact farrier2@illinois.edu.