City to Host 11th Annual “It's the Great Pumpkin Compost” Collection Event November 7

Community members can rescue their Halloween pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns from withering on the front porch or ending up in the landfill by participating in the City's 11th annual “It's the Great Pumpkin Compost” collection event. The event will take place on Saturday, November 7, from 9 a.m. to noon, in the parking lot of the old Morton Civic Center located at 2100 Ridge Ave.

The free “drive-up, drop-off” event provides community members without a food and yard waste cart an opportunity to have their pumpkins composted.

Plain, clean pumpkins of any size will be accepted, as well as pumpkins painted with acrylic paint. Pumpkins contaminated with candle wax, stickers, or any other type of decoration will not be accepted. No other organic material may be dropped off.

To drop off pumpkins at the collection event, community members should enter the old Morton Civic Center parking lot at the corner of Asbury Avenue and Simpson Street. The north parking lot entrance, located off Leonard Place, will be blocked.

Food waste, including plain, clean pumpkins, can also "ride along" in yard waste carts with grass clippings and leaves. Weekly collection will occur from April through November, and during December through March, collection will occur every other week. Winter collections will alternate between “A” weeks, which include Monday and Tuesday routes, and “B” weeks, which include Wednesday and Thursday routes. Please note that the year-round availability will not actually take effect until December 7.

For more information, please call or text 847-448-4311, or simply dial 3-1-1 while in Evanston.