A smashing time: Flying pumpkins add excitement to collection event

Flying pumpkins launched from a trebuchet added excitement to the annual College of Lake County pumpkin collection and launch held Saturday at the Grayslake campus.

People pulled up in their cars to drop off pumpkins, jack-o’-lanterns and gourds during the event, hosted by the Sustainability Council and Students, and the Engineering Club.

The purpose was for what had been Halloween decorations to become compost rather than landfill waste, said horticulture lab coordinator Melanie Bromberek.

Some of the smaller pumpkins were launched from the Engineering Club’s trebuchet, while the larger ones where chopped up prior to becoming compost.

“They all end up getting composted but aerodynamically, they (the engineering students) want the lightweight ones, so they just launch a couple for the kids to watch,” Bromberek said. “But most of them are just chopped up into compost.”

Bromberek said 10,000 pounds of pumpkins are collected each year, though they are mostly water.