Kane County, in conjunction with Pushing the Envelope Farm and Northern Illinois Food Bank, is offering a free pumpkin recycling event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 7 in Geneva to help reduce seasonal holiday waste.

The event is being held at Pushing the Envelope Farm at 1700 Averill Road. Jack O’Lanterns, pumpkins and decorative squashes are highly compostable, with the nutrients being returned to soil that will grow more healthy food. Organizers will be accepting pumpkins (carved or whole) decorative squashes and gourds, corn stalks, hay bales, and any other organic materials used as fall décor.

It is very important to keep the environment contaminant-free; just like food scrap composting. In other words, only the squashes, pumpkins, and gourds themselves can be composted. Organizers will not accept Jack O’Lanterns with any of the following items in or on them, such as candles, yarn hair, stickers, googly eyes, plastic ears, plastic of any kind, or excessive amounts of paint.

Source: Kane County Recycles News Release