CENTRAL OKANAGAN – Now that Halloween is over, instead of throwing your jack o lantern in the garbage, consider composting your Halloween pumpkin.

“Pumpkins are rich in nitrogen, a big part of a composter’s diet,” Rae Stewart with the Regional Waste Reduction Office says.

“Just chop up your pumpkin into small pieces and toss it into your backyard composter with some fall leaves. It will break down well to become a nutrient rich soil amendment you can put in your garden or flower beds next spring,” Stewart says.

It’s estimated 25,000 or about nine tonnes of pumpkins will be disposed of this fall in the Central Okanagan. That’s a lot of great compost waiting to happen.

If you don’t compost, you can put your pumpkin in your yard waste cart for your next pickup. Check your Living Greener Calendar, the My-Waste app, or regionaldistrict.com/recycle for yard waste pickup schedules in your area. A reminder that yard waste pick up ends for the year on Nov. 30.

You can also take your pumpkin to the Glenmore Landfill or the Westside Residential Waste Disposal facility free of charge, along with grass, leaves, pine needles, fruit droppings and pruning’s up to 20 centimeters or 8” in diameter. The free drop-off for yard waste up to 250 kilograms runs year round.

For more information on composting or yard waste collection programs, visit regionaldistrict.com/recycle or call the Regional Waste Reduction Office at 250-469-6250.