“Pumpkin smash” events post-Halloween are a hit!

Kay McKeen first got the idea for a “pumpkin smash” in 2014 when she was driving around after Halloween and began to notice all the pumpkins in her area that were destined to end up in landfills. “Anything that’s organic and a plant that goes to a landfill is going to make methane gas,” says McKeen, reflecting on the massive contributions pumpkins and other vegetables make to carbon emissions. She immediately sprang into action and planned three pumpkin smash events to help community members send their pumpkins to compost piles rather than landfills that year. This kind of can-do attitude comes naturally for McKeen, the founder of SCARCE, an educational organization that has been dedicated to diverting waste from landfills since 1990. 

Pumpkin smash events — and their impact — are expanding

Over the last nine years, pumpkin smash events have grown in popularity, from three events in 2014 to nearly 100 in 2023. While the events started in the Chicago suburbs, they’ve spread across the nation, with events in New York and Michigan, among other states. SCARCE has even gotten interest from groups in the United Kingdom. “The best compliment is people copying it and sharing it and spreading it and getting the word out,” said McKeen. “Everybody can be part of environmental solutions if we give them the opportunity.”

It’s no coincidence the events started in Illinois — the state is the nation’s top pumpkin producer by a long shot. “This year it’s about 632 million pounds…and then there’s this town [in Illinois] called Morton — they’ve self-proclaimed that they’re the number one canning capital for pumpkin,” said McKeen. To date, SCARCE’s pumpkin smash events have saved nearly more than 2 million pounds of pumpkins from going to landfills.

The events are often targeted at educating the public on composting and food waste, with a focus towards children especially. “It’s a real inclusive thing — everyone can participate,” said SCARCE COO Bev Jaszczurowski. “It’s easy, it’s fun, and then you think, ‘Oh, if a pumpkin can be composted, I wonder if this apple could or this banana?’”

Get involved

If you are interested in hosting or starting a new pumpkin smash event in your community in 2024, check out the guide from SCARCE and make sure to register your event with them so they can sponsor your event and put it on their event map.