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Trash That Pumpkin? Not So Fast, Jack

Susan Stephens
/
WNIJ

Is the Jack-o-Lantern on your doorstep a little overripe? Some communities want you to compost your moldering pumpkins. 

The DeKalb County Health Department's Solid Waste and Recycling Programencourages people to put them out with yard waste and offers three drop-off sites:

• Fire Station #2 - 1154 South 7th Street, DeKalb

• City Garden Plots, west of Fire Station #3 - 950 W. Dresser Road, DeKalb

• The southeast corner of North 7th Street and Oak Street, DeKalb

If you can hang on ‘til Sunday, the Discovery Center Museum in Rockford holds its annual “Smashing Pumpkins” event, where you can launch the squash with a trebuchet. Those pumpkins don't go to waste, though. The scraps are gathered and fed to local livestock.

Susan is an award-winning reporter/writer at her favorite radio station. She's also WNIJ's Perspectives editor, Under Rocks contributor, and local host of All Things Considered.