College of Lake County's pumpkin launch combines fun with sustainability

Used jack-o'-lanterns took flight Saturday at the College of Lake County's annual Pumpkin Collection and Launch in Grayslake.

Participants were able to watch pumpkins sail across the campus multipurpose field while being sent airborne from a trebuchet.

The event combined a fun atmosphere with the serious business of keeping Halloween pumpkins out of landfills.

Students from the engineering club built the trebuchet two years ago. After being launched the broken pumpkin pieces are gathered for use as compost for the campus farm, said Lisa Bassi, a staff member at the college.

Bassi said pumpkins create an enormous amount of methane gas - a greenhouse gas - when disposed of in a landfill.

Music, coffee, hot chocolate and coffee were also part of the event.

"It's fun. We're just trying to get the community out and have a good time, other than just dropping off their pumpkins," Bassi said.