The Town of West Hartford is collecting pumpkins through Dec. 1, this year at three different locations.

By Ronni Newton

With Halloween in the rearview mirror, many pumpkins have seen better days and sit rotting on front stoops – or waiting to become an afternoon snack for a squirrel one of West Hartford’s ubiquitous bears.

While residents may be tempted to toss their aging pumpkins into the trash, the Town of West Hartford has some suggestions for more environmentally friendly alternatives for those who can’t compost the pumpkins in their own yards.

The Department of Public Works has again deployed dumpsters for collecting pumpkins – this year at three different locations. Residents can drop off pumpkins in the bin in the parking lot of Public Works 17 Brixton Street, at the lower end of the parking lot at Westmoor Park (119 Flagg Road), and at the Town Hall parking lot (area next to Burr Street). The containers will remain in place through Dec. 1, weather permitting.

Pumpkins can also be dropped off in any of the town’s 11 food scrap collection bins, a list of which can be found here.

Throwing pumpkins – which are heavy – into the trash increases the town’s waste disposal costs, and decomposing pumpkins also produce environmentally harmful methane gas. Through the town’s recycling program, Quantum Organics will process collected pumpkins into compost and biofuel.

Plastic bags, as well as any other trash or recyclables, should not be included with the pumpkins. While painted pumpkins are okay, all candles must be removed. Pumpkins should not be fed to any of the animals at Westmoor Park.

According to the town, last year 33,000 pounds of pumpkins were diverted from the trash stream and were instead turned into “Let’s double that number this year! Spread the word to your friends and neighbors,” the town’s Public Works Department said.

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