As of this weekend, there are not one, not two, but THREE opportunities to rid yourself of rotting pumpkins in Kane County.

There’s the first-ever Kane County Pumpkin Recycling Event, the first-ever Elgin Pumpkin Composting Event and the Northern Illinois Food Bank Pumpkin Pitch. All three events takes place — not coincidentally — from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 5.

“It’s a collaborative effort across communities to keep pumpkins out of landfills and also educate residents on the benefits of composting,” said Molly Center, the city of Elgin’s liaison to the Sustainability Commission.

Volunteers will be available to help transfer your pumpkins from vehicles to collection containers. Organizers say it’s quick, it’s easy, it’s convenient and it’s the right thing to do.

According to SCARCE, a local recycling organization, there are several reasons to keep pumpkins out of the landfill.

• They are full of nutrients that are good for the soil,
• They are 90 percent water, which makes them ideal for composting.
• Most of the pumpkins processed in the U.S. are grown in Illinois, so we can keep the water and nutrients here.
• Decomposing organics make landfills the third largest producers of methane, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to reducing valuable resources from being sent to the landfill, the goal of all three events is to educate residents about composting and how to do it correctly.

What’s not recycled? Anything attached to or inside the Jack-o’-lantern — candles, yard hair, stickers, googly eyes, plastic ears or plastic of any kind — cannot be recycled. Only the jack-o’-lanterns themselves can be composted! In other words, only pumpkins will be accepted, and all decorations and candles must be removed.

In 2014, Wheaton, Elmhurst and SCARCE hosted the first pumpkin recycling collections in the area. The collection was a huge success that composted 9.31 tons of pumpkins and helped to improve composting laws in Illinois. Carrie Horak, environmental educator at SCARCE said that last year in 2015, the collection expanded to 16 locations throughout the suburbs, receiving a total of 26.5 tons of pumpkins.

You can find a list of all participating locations for 2016 on SCARCE’s website.

Kane County Pumpkin Recycling Event

“Don’t Let Your Waste Haunt You!”

• When: 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 5
• Where: Pushing The Envelope Farm, 1700 Averill Road, Geneva, IL 60134
• What: Kane County will be accepting pumpkins and squashes for composting right on a farm!
• Cost: Free to residents of Kane County.
• More Info: This page of the Kane County Recycles Website

Elgin Pumpkin Composting Event

“It’s a collaborative effort across communities to keep pumpkins out of landfills.”

• When: 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 5 (or until the container is full)
• Where: Parking lot on the southwest corner of Grove Avenue and Kimball Street. The approximate address is 220 N. Grove Ave., Elgin.
• What: This is the first pumpkin collection event for Elgin. The city’s Sustainability Commission is hosting the event in cooperation with Waste Management, SCARCE (School & Community Assistance for Recycling & Composting Education) and Kane County Recycling.
• Cost: Free to Elgin residents only. Proof of residency is required.
• More Info: This page of the City of Elgin website!

Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Pumpkin Pitch

• When: 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 5
• Where: Northern Illinois Food Bank, 273 Dearborn Court, Geneva
• What: Visit the Northern Illinois Food Bank, and while you’re at it,
• Cost: Free.
• More Info: www.scarce.org/pumpkins

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Don’t Let Your Waste Haunt You: Recycle Your Jack-O’-Lantern in Kane County