Residents brought their used jack-o’-lanterns to Bridgeview on Saturday, Nov. 7, to smash them for compost instead of tossing them in the trash.
The Township of Lyons Clerk’s office held the Pumpkin Smash from 8 a.m. to noon with the Bridgeview Park District, in the park district’s parking lot at 8100 S. Beloit Ave.
“The pumpkins will get picked up by the hauler and sent to a large scale compost facility in Sheridan,” said Rose Naseef, the township’s sustainability coordinator.
Keeping pumpkins and other food scraps out of landfills prevents methane from getting into the atmosphere, Naseef said. The nutrients and water in pumpkins can go back to the soil, she said, where “those can be returned back to the soil and help plants grow.”
Residents can also compost pumpkins at home in a bin or yard by breaking them into small pieces, she said, “but not everybody has that option or wants to do that.”
At the same time and place, the clerk’s office held a free shred event. A truck from Accurate Document Destruction took up to four banker’s boxes per resident until the truck was full. The next shred event is planned for spring.
The township runs year-round recycling drop-offs, Naseef said. It collects holiday lights and keys for their metal, along with corks. It also takes flags so they can be properly retired.
Through the end of the year, the township is running an energy efficiency program funded by a grant, Naseef said. Local residents may be eligible for ComEd services through the program. Details are on the township website, she said.
Visit lyonstownshipil.gov and click services for a list of what and where to recycle.
