Halloween is this Friday, and city officials are encouraging residents to give their pumpkins a fun and sustainable send-off after the celebrations.
Community members are invited to the City of San Luis Obispo's annual Pumpkin Smash event this Saturday.
People can bring their unpainted Halloween pumpkins to French Park in San Luis Obispo and toss them onto a smash board.
Rachelle Paris, the City of San Luis Obispo Solid Waste and Recycling coordinator, told KSBY that the discarded pumpkins will be turned into energy and valuable compost.
"Smash your pumpkins into our green cart, and they'll be transported to the Kompogas anaerobic digester, where they get turned into power that fuels homes and nutrient rich compost that goes on our local farms and local parks," Paris said. "Last year, we diverted 1.7 tons of pumpkins [from the landfill], so we hope to double that number this year."
Organizers say the free, family-friendly event will also feature local food trucks, lawn games, and a compost giveaway.
The Pumpkin Smash event will be held on Saturday at French Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
To participate in the Pumpkin Smash, the city requires that any candles and decorations be removed from your pumpkins to ensure clean compost.
Officials add that there will be extra pumpkins at the event if you are unable to bring one.
If you cannot make it to the event, organizers say you can still compost your pumpkins and food scraps by placing them in your green organics bin at home.
