Lewis University says goodbye to Halloween by launching pumpkins

The Will County Land Use Department’s Resource Recovery and Energy Division and Lewis University are once again joining forces for their 4th annual Pumpkin Composting Collection and second Fall Shredding Event.

This environmentally sound way to get rid of jack-o-lanterns and documents will take place on November 4th from 9 AM to noon at Lewis University in Romeoville. Lewis physics students will also be present to assist any participants who want to send their pumpkins flying with a catapult. Attendees even have the chance to win prizes courtesy of the University of Illinois Extension Office, the Will County Farm Bureau, Will County and Lewis University.

At the event in Lewis’s south parking lot, participants of all ages are welcome to throw, launch, or roll their “naked” pumpkins or gourds, with a limit of five pumpkins per person. Pumpkins must be without candles, bags or boxes.

At last year’s event, nearly 2,000 pounds of pumpkin were composted and almost 3,000 pounds of documents shredded.

“Fall is the best time to start a compost. If you don’t have one in your back yard, bring your pumpkin to us. When we keep pumpkins out of the landfill, we preserve our natural resources,” said Will County Executive Larry Walsh.

“Lewis University began collecting food scraps on campus and sending them to a professional compost facility four years ago,” said Marta Keane, Recycling Program Specialist with the Resource Recovery and Energy Division, “We are partnering to encourage more food scrap composting throughout Will County and are looking forward to seeing some flying pumpkins launched from the Physics Department’s catapult.”

For more information about the event and how to start a compost of your own, visit www.willcountygreen.com. The Land Use Department is under the County Executive’s office and is led by Director Curt Paddock.