# Don't throw away your Halloween pumpkin

> Rotting jack-o'-lanterns sent to landfill release methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Composting is the answer.
- Title: Don't throw away your Halloween pumpkin · TIME | Shortify
- Summary: Rotting jack-o'-lanterns sent to landfill release methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Composting is the answer. Millions of…
- Keywords: halloween pumpkins, composting, methane emissions, landfill waste, environmental impact, scarce, university of illinois extension, news, world, Don't, throw, away
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/10/31/compost-halloween-pumpkins
- Author: Simmone Shah
- Published: 2026-10-31T12:00:03.114+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: halloween pumpkins, composting, methane emissions, landfill waste, environmental impact, scarce, university of illinois extension, news, world
## The pumpkin disposal problem
Millions of carved pumpkins are thrown away after Halloween. Experts warn against sending them to landfill because they release harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
## Why methane matters
Pumpkins in landfills release methane, a potent greenhouse gas that over a twenty year period is around eighty times more powerful at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.
## The scale of the waste
Hundreds of millions of pumpkins need disposal after Halloween. Chris Enroth of University of Illinois Extension says it is a massive amount of organic material entering the landfill system.

> We're talking about hundreds of millions of pumpkins that need to be disposed of post Halloween, and it's just a massive amount of organic material that goes into the landfill system.
## How composting works
Composting introduces water, oxygen, microbes, bacteria and fungi. This aerobic process turns pumpkins into organic matter with nutrients that can be returned to gardens without producing methane.
## Where to compost your pumpkin
Use a curbside compost bin, apartment building compost, or find a drop-off site near you. Some areas organize dedicated pumpkin drop-off events for residents.
## Start composting this fall
Fall is the best time to start home composting. Leaves, grass clippings and pumpkins combine well to create compost for next year's garden.

> It's a really good combination of materials for you to get compost out of it next year.
## Key takeaway

Millions of discarded Halloween pumpkins release harmful methane in landfills; composting them prevents greenhouse gas emissions and creates garden nutrients.