Columbus residents can keep jack-o'-lanterns out of the landfill through a seasonal collection run at three city waste and reuse facilities, where pumpkins are composted at no charge.
According to the city bulletin, the program has taken in more than 35 tons of pumpkins from residents in the four years since it started. The stated aim is to divert organic material from landfills so it does not emit methane as it decomposes. The bulletin adds that discarded pumpkins also represent a wasted resource, noting they can be eaten, fed to animals or composted in a backyard.
The Alum Creek center at 2100 Alum Creek Dr. and the Georgesville center at 1550 Georgesville Rd. accept drop-offs Tuesdays through Saturdays, Oct. 30 through Nov. 29, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Stephen R. Lennon Refuse Collection Station at 4260 Morse Rd. is open weekdays Oct. 30 through Nov. 27 from 8 a.m. to noon, plus Saturdays Nov. 7 and Nov. 28.
Carved or intact pumpkins and gourds qualify if candles are taken out and the surfaces carry no paint or permanent marker. The two convenience centers also collect nonperishable food, toiletries and personal care items for Columbus Blessing Boxes; diapers and wipes are described as fast-moving donations. Paper or cardboard political yard signs belong in blue recycling containers, while plastic signs and metal wires should be delivered to the centers. Broken holiday string lights are also recycled there.
Program details are posted at columbus.gov/foodwaste.