{"id":476406,"date":"2026-10-25T16:34:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T16:34:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/476406\/"},"modified":"2026-10-25T16:34:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T16:34:23","slug":"dont-throw-away-your-halloween-pumpkins-houston-wants-to-turn-them-into-compost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/476406\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t throw away your Halloween pumpkins! Houston wants to turn them into compost"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOUSTON \u2013 Before you toss that Halloween pumpkin in the trash, the City of Houston has another idea: Turn it into compost.<\/p>\n

Houston Public Works is bringing back its annual Pumpkin Compost Drop-Off Program<\/a>, allowing residents to dispose of their pumpkins for free instead of sending them to a landfill.<\/p>\n

The program begins Saturday, Oct. 24, and runs through Nov. 28 at two locations across Houston.<\/p>\n

Residents can bring everything from whole pumpkins to carved jack-o\u2019-lanterns, as long as all decorations have been removed.<\/p>\n

According to Houston Public Works, the program has diverted more than 63,000 pounds of organic material from landfills since 2022.<\/p>\n

Where can you drop off your pumpkins?<\/p>\n

Residents can bring their pumpkins to either of the following locations:<\/p>\n

City of Houston Reuse Warehouse<\/p>\n

9003 N. Main St., Houston, TX 77022<\/p>\n

Westpark Recycling Center<\/p>\n

5900 Westpark, Houston, TX 77057<\/p>\n

Both locations accept pumpkins Tuesday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n

The program is free for City of Houston residents, and no registration or proof of residency is required.<\/p>\n

Drop-off locations will be closed Thursday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 27, for Thanksgiving. The program will resume for its final day on Saturday, Nov. 28.<\/p>\n

What kinds of pumpkins are accepted?<\/p>\n

The city will accept:<\/p>\n

Whole pumpkins<\/p>\n

Carved jack-o\u2019-lanterns<\/p>\n

Pumpkin pieces, seeds and pulp<\/p>\n

Natural, undecorated gourds and squash<\/p>\n

However, residents must remove any nonorganic materials before dropping off their pumpkins.<\/p>\n

That includes candles, wax, stickers, paint, glitter, tape, plastic and other decorations.<\/p>\n

Pumpkins should be placed directly into the collection bins without bags or boxes.<\/p>\n

The program is intended for residential use only, with a limit of up to one truck bed of pumpkins per resident. Commercial loads will not be accepted.<\/p>\n

Residents should also avoid placing pumpkins in their curbside recycling carts, as the city does not accept them through its regular recycling program.<\/p>\n

Why is Houston composting pumpkins?<\/p>\n

The seasonal initiative is designed to reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfills by turning discarded pumpkins into compost.<\/p>\n

Houston Public Works is partnering with City Council Member Sallie Alcorn, who represents At-Large Position 5, to organize the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year marks the sixth anniversary of Houston\u2019s annual pumpkin composting program, which has diverted more than 63,000 pounds of organic material from our landfills since 2022,\u201d Alcorn said in a city news release.<\/p>\n

City officials say composting helps preserve landfill capacity while turning organic waste into a useful resource.<\/p>\n

Houston Public Works Director Randy Macchi also encouraged more residents to participate this year, describing pumpkin composting as a simple seasonal habit that can benefit the community.<\/p>\n

What else should residents know?<\/p>\n

Pumpkins can only be dropped off during the facilities\u2019 operating hours. Residents should not leave pumpkins outside the gates when the locations are closed.<\/p>\n

For additional information, visit the City of Houston\u2019s Pumpkin Compost Drop-Off Program page<\/a> or contact Houston 311 at 713-837-0311.<\/p>\n

Start Here, Houston\"\"<\/p>\n

More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 Before you toss that Halloween pumpkin in the trash, the City of Houston has another idea:…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":476407,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[987,56,58,57,19293,161199,4550],"class_list":["post-476406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-halloween","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news","tag-houston-public-works","tag-pumpkin-compost-drop-off-program","tag-pumpkins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=476406"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476406\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/476407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=476406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=476406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=476406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}