Smash it, don’t trash it: Fishtown Neighbors Association hosts pumpkin composting ‘smackdown’

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Halloween is over. The costumes are back in the closet, the candy is disappearing, and that once-spooky jack-o-lantern on the porch is starting to look a little less festive.

Before you toss it in the trash, consider giving it one last hurrah.

That’s exactly what some Philadelphia residents did Saturday at the third annual pumpkin smackdown, where leftover pumpkins met their messy demise, all in the name of composting.

Composting is the process of breaking down organic materials, like pumpkins and other food scraps, into nutrient-rich material that can be returned to the soil. It’s an environmentally friendly alternative to tossing pumpkins in the trash, where they can end up in landfills and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.