conv.

All stories
ClimateQuiet 7d · day 8

Time warns against trashing Halloween pumpkins, urges composting

Experts say millions of discarded pumpkins release methane in landfills; composting and drop-off events offer alternatives.

newest coverage 6d agosummary written 6d ago4 pieces9 likes & upvotes NewswiresMastodonGoogle News

What to know

  • Discarding carved pumpkins in landfills releases methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than CO₂ over 20 years; hundreds of millions of pumpkins are trashed annually between Halloween and Thanksgiving.
  • Composting prevents methane release by introducing oxygen and microbes for aerobic decomposition, converting waste into nutrient-rich organic matter.
  • Drop-off composting sites and community Pumpkin Smash events offer alternatives; Scarce and Illinois Extension have diverted 1,600+ tons since 2014.

“When we compost something, it's really a whole system that we're creating that introduces both water and oxygen, [and uses] microbes, bacteria, fungi, all the little decomposers. When we introduce those things, we get that aerobic composting process, so we don't produce methane.”

Chris Enroth, Horticulture educator, University of Illinois Extension · Time ↗

Kay McKeen Executive director, Scarce nonprofitChris Enroth Horticulture educator, University of Illinois ExtensionScarce Environmental education nonprofitUniversity of Illinois Extension Educational organization

Time warns against trashing Halloween pumpkins, urges composting
time.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 2 pieces in two hours at Oct 31, 7 AM; 4 pieces over 8 days (3 articles · 1 post) Oct 31, 7 AM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Oct 31, 9 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Oct 31, 11 AM — quietOct 31, 1 PM — quietOct 31, 3 PM — quietOct 31, 5 PM — quietOct 31, 7 PM — quietOct 31, 9 PM — quietOct 31, 11 PM — quietNov 1, 1 AM — quietNov 1, 2 AM — quietNov 1, 4 AM — quietNov 1, 6 AM — quietNov 1, 8 AM — quietNov 1, 10 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Nov 1, 12 PM — quietNov 1, 2 PM — quietNov 1, 4 PM — quietNov 1, 6 PM — quietNov 1, 8 PM — quietNov 1, 10 PM — quietNov 2, 12 AM — quietNov 2, 2 AM — quietNov 2, 4 AM — quietNov 2, 6 AM — quietNov 2, 8 AM — quietNov 2, 10 AM — quietNov 2, 12 PM — quietNov 2, 2 PM — quietNov 2, 4 PM — quietNov 2, 6 PM — quietNov 2, 8 PM — quietNov 2, 10 PM — quietNov 3, 12 AM — quietNov 3, 2 AM — quietNov 3, 4 AM — quietNov 3, 6 AM — quietNov 3, 8 AM — quietNov 3, 10 AM — quietNov 3, 12 PM — quietNov 3, 2 PM — quietNov 3, 4 PM — quietNov 3, 6 PM — quietNov 3, 8 PM — quietNov 3, 10 PM — quietNov 4, 12 AM — quietNov 4, 2 AM — quietNov 4, 4 AM — quietNov 4, 6 AM — quietNov 4, 8 AM — quietNov 4, 10 AM — quietNov 4, 12 PM — quietNov 4, 2 PM — quietNov 4, 4 PM — quietNov 4, 6 PM — quietNov 4, 8 PM — quietNov 4, 10 PM — quietNov 5, 12 AM — quietNov 5, 2 AM — quietNov 5, 4 AM — quietNov 5, 6 AM — quietNov 5, 8 AM — quietNov 5, 10 AM — quietNov 5, 12 PM — quietNov 5, 2 PM — quietNov 5, 4 PM — quietNov 5, 6 PM — quietNov 5, 8 PM — quietNov 5, 10 PM — quietNov 6, 12 AM — quietNov 6, 2 AM — quietNov 6, 4 AM — quietNov 6, 6 AM — quietNov 6, 8 AM — quietNov 6, 10 AM — quietNov 6, 12 PM — quietNov 6, 2 PM — quietNov 6, 4 PM — quietNov 6, 6 PM — quietNov 6, 8 PM — quietNov 6, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quietToday, 10 AM — quiet 1–2
Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6yesterdaynow · 11:03 AM ET
  1. 2

    Mastodon user shares Time article as public service announcement

    A user on Mastodon (@AAKL@infosec.exchange) shared the Time article with a PSA tag, amplifying the message across the social platform.

    • AAKL@infosec.exchange

      PSA. Time: Why You Shouldn't Toss Your Old Halloween Pumpkins In The Trash https:// time.com/article/2026/10/31/co mpost-halloween-pumpkins/ @ time

      AAKL@infosec.exchangeMastodon8d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  2. 1

    Time publishes pumpkin disposal guide citing methane emissions

    Time magazine published an article warning that trashing carved pumpkins sends them to landfills where anaerobic decomposition releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The article cited experts from environmental nonprofit Scarce and the University of Illinois Extension on the scale of the problem and composting solutions.

    “Everybody throws them out from Halloween to right after Thanksgiving. It's a huge burst of methane gas that's going into the landfill all at one time.”
    — Kay McKeen, executive director at Scarce

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets Why You Shouldn't Toss Your Old Halloween Pumpkins In The Trash

    first by Time Magazine, 6d ago · also Time