Squashing pumpkins to reduce landfill waste

Pumpkins pummeled down from a Winnipeg shopping mall parkade Saturday, as part of an annual event aimed at reducing landfill waste.

The Green Action Centre’s Pumpkin Drop returned to Polo Park mall for its fourth year, giving people a chance to get rid of their leftover gourds after Halloween in a fun way.

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“We collect these pumpkins and a portion of them go to the Little Red Barn animal sanctuary to feed the animals,” said Compost Winnipeg’s sales and customer service lead Karrie Blackburn. “Then the pumpkins that are carved into Jack-O'-Lanterns all go to the compost pile to be turned into a finished compost, which it turns those nutrients back to the food system.”

Blackburn said the event sees thousands of pumpkins every year and continues to grow with each drop.

“We get an easy 2,000 to 3,000 pumpkins,” she said.

Before they’re dropped from the second level of the parkade, the pumpkins are inspected to make sure they are free of any debris, such as candles, glitter or googly eyes.

Once they’re dumped into Compost Winnipeg’s collectible bin, they’re taken to a facility where they are turned into compost within three to six months.

The compost is then used in landfill remediation – turning landfills into green spaces like parks, similar to Garbage Hill.

“Our landfills can't just be left unmanaged,” Blackburn said. “They have to be cared for, and covering them in a finished compost to turn them into green space is a great way to do that.”

For those who missed the event, Blackburn said they can add their pumpkin to the City of Winnipeg leaf and yard waste or take it to any community drop off locations around the city. More information can be found on the city’s website.