When Halloween ends, your pumpkin can keep on doing good! Keep it out of the landfill by composting it! If you don’t have a compost pile of your own, there are multiple places where you can drop it off to be composted or to be shared with farm animals.
Your pumpkin must be free of paint, decorations, candles and glitter.
Here are a few places to drop off your pumpkin.
Pumpkin Drop-Off in Durham
Keep Durham Beautiful has shared some information about a pumpkin drop-event.
On Saturday, November 2, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., drop off your unpainted pumpkin at one of these locations, and the City of Durham’s composting contractor, Atlas Organics, will compost them:
- C.M. Herndon Park, 511 Scott King Rd.
- Valley Springs Park, 3805 Valley Springs Rd.
- Rock Quarry Park, 701 Stadium Dr.
- Southern Boundaries Park, 3400 Third Fork Rd.
- Bethesda Park, 1814 Stage Rd.
- Campus Hills 2000 S. Alston Ave. (parking lot)
- Waste Disposal and Recycling Center, 2115 E. Club Blvd.
If you miss the November 2 event, you can drop off your pumpkins at no charge at the Waste Disposal and Recycling Center through November 18, 2024, during normal hours of operation.
Composting Pumpkins in Raleigh and Wake County
There are three Wake County Food Scraps Composting Centers where you can drop off your pumpkin:
- Convenience Center #2, 6120 Old Smithfield Road in Apex
- Convenience Center #4, 3600 Yates Mill Pond Road in Raleigh
- Convenience Center #7, 9024 Deponie Drive in Raleigh
Also, two farmers’ markets collect food scraps during their open hours for composting:
- Midtown Farmers’ Market, 4191 Main at North Hills Street, Raleigh, NC 27609
- Western Wake Farmers’ Market, 280 Town Hall Drive, Morrisville, NC 27560
Make sure to read the instructions here.
Western Wake Farmers Market
Drop your non-painted, wax-free pumpkin off at Western Wake Farmers Market, 280 Town Hall Drive, Morrisville, North Carolina, on Saturday, November 2, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., and they’ll be donated to the animals of Coleman Girls Farm and Fickle Creek Farm.
Food Waste Recycling in Cary
Learn all about food waste recycling in Cary. You can drop your pumpkins (and other food waste) off at these locations:
Mills Park
425 Mills Park Drive
Open daily, sunrise to sunset
Citizen’s Convenience Center
313 N. Dixon Ave.
Open Monday – Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.;
Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (holiday hours may vary)
Food Waste Recycling in Orange County
Orange County, North Carolina, residents can drop off food scraps at these waste and recycling centers:
- 1518 Eubanks Road, Chapel Hill, NC
- 3605 Walnut Grove Church Road, Hillsborough, NC
Make sure to read all the details here.
Pumpkins for Pigs
On PumpkinsForPigs.org, there’s a list of farmers who would like donations of old pumpkins. Sometimes they accept other items as well, like Christmas trees and fruits and vegetables. Check to see if there’s one near you.
Pumpkin Smash Party
Steel String at Pluck Farm, 6901 NC-54 West, Mebane, North Carolina, is hosting a pumpkin smash party on Saturday, November 2, and Sunday, November 2, 2024, from 12 to 8 p.m. Bring your decorated, undecorated, carved, and uncarved pumpkins to Pluck Farm to smash! Smashed pumpkins will be repurposed into compost. Don’t have a pumpkin? Leftover ones will be available for purchase. Farmers are welcome to come by and grab some scraps for their animals!
Double-Check Before You Head Out!
We make every effort to make sure that everything on Triangle on the Cheap is 100% accurate.
However, sometimes things change without notice, and it’s also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
More Events
Check out our list of free and cheap events in Raleigh and the rest of the Triangle this weekend, or our full event calendar in the Triangle, or just look at few upcoming events here:
Various locations
