The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) encourages Michigan residents to recycle their jack-o’-lanterns after Halloween festivities by composting the pumpkins instead of throwing them in the trash.

Composting jack-o’-lanterns keeps them out of landfills and helps nourish the soil, says Aaron Hiday, statewide composting coordinator for the state of Michigan at EGLE.

Don’t have a compost bin? Check with your local recycler for yard waste drop-off locations to see if they accept pumpkins for composting. The Michigan Recycling Directory lists locations that take food scraps. (Select the “Organics” tab and then click on “Food Scraps.”) Before taking your jack-o’-lantern there, be sure to verify with the location that they accept food scraps.

In 2016, Michigan generated $9.8 million from the production of 79 million pounds of pumpkins. Michigan pumpkins are used for processing and jack-o’-lanterns.

To learn more about how to compost pumpkins, watch this short video and read the Home Composting: Reap a Heap of Benefits info sheet. For additional information, go to EGLE’s composting website.

Stay up to date on other EGLE news: follow us at Michigan.gov/MIEnvironment and @MichiganEGLE on Twitter.