North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and the Town Board are encouraging residents to keep their pumpkins out of the trash and turn them into earth-friendly compost by participating in the North Hempstead Pumpkin Drop-Off.

The program offers residents an easy, sustainable option to get rid of their old pumpkins by tossing them in collection containers at Michael J. Tully Park in New Hyde Park, Manorhaven Beach Park in Port Washington, or Charles J. Fuschillo Park in Carle Place between Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 8.

“It’s estimated that Americans buy more than 100 million pumpkins each Halloween season,” said North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena. “But instead of sending pumpkins to the landfill, we can recycle them into nutrient-rich compost that helps nourish the soil. This is a wonderful program that unites North Hempstead with the greater Long Island community in a way that allows our residents to actively participate in the Island’s sustainability movement.”

Compost is a nutrient-dense soil amendment that provides a variety of benefits including reducing waste in landfills and combustion facilities, adding valuable plant nutrients to local soil, improving soil structure, suppressing plant diseases, lessening the need for fertilizers and pesticides, and preventing soil erosion and nutrient runoff.

The North Hempstead Pumpkin Drop-Off is a component of the larger Long Island Pumpkin Drop-Off, in which businesses and municipalities across Long Island are participating. The effort is made possible through the Long Island Organics Initiative and generous contributions from Maggio Environmental LLC and Long Island Compost. Maggio is donating collection and hauling services, while Long Island Compost is providing composting services at its Yaphank facility.

“We see firsthand how much organic material ends up in the waste stream, even though it has the potential to be put to better use,” said Stanley Lomangino, CEO of Maggio Environmental LLC. “We’re pleased to donate our hauling services to help communities across Long Island participate. This is the kind of collaboration that can make a real difference, and we’re proud to be part of it.”