Give them your collapsing, your oozing, your whoops-should’ve-thrown-this-away-a-week-ago pumpkins.
Long Beach Community Compost is accepting pumpkins and dilapidated jack-o’-lanterns during its regularly scheduled Friday morning drop-offs at Willow Springs Park.
“We’re anticipating getting a lot more pumpkins pretty soon,” organizer Celeste Mendez said, noting that residents have already dropped off smaller pumpkins at the site.
To avoid the compost project turning into a pumpkin patch, the group will attempt to remove any seeds from the pumpkins to prevent germination—a likely consequence of dropping resilient seeds into a pile of nutrient-rich compost.
“The good thing is they’re soft, it’s really just that outer layer,” Mendez said. “As long as we have the right mixture of carbon and nitrogen, I think we can break them down pretty fast.”
As long as they’re 100% organic matter (no stickers, wax, paint or candles), they’ll be chopped up and fed into one of the group’s eight compost piles. The pumpkins are expected to decompose over the next few months.
The volunteer-led composting project regularly receives upwards of 600 pounds of compostable material weekly for their piles.
“There’s so much opportunity for this place at Farm Lot 59 to grow something special, like a green hub, where people can learn what it really means to connect with organic processes, connect with the dirt really,” Mendez said.
The group was founded mid-2020 by UC Master Gardener Mark Haprov at a conveniently-situated woodchip pile near the Michelle Obama Library. The group later moved to the mulch yard at Willow Springs Park, where it continues to operate today.
“It’s been busy. There’s a lot of interest. It’s beautiful to see,” said Mendez, who now co-runs the project with waste consultant and volunteer Kirk Kunihiro. “There’s just so many people that are interested, that want to learn more about how to compost.”
Volunteers are welcome to join the group on Fridays to help break down pumpkins. Tools and materials are provided.
She invited parents to bring their children to ride out their sugar highs by helping to smash pumpkins and learn about composting.
“Just leading the project has been such an eye-opening experience for myself,” Mendez said. “And healing for me as well, to be able to connect with Long Beach residents, learning together on why this is so necessary right now for public health, especially collective knowledge.”
Residents can drop off pumpkins and other food scraps at the compost site at 2714 California Ave. from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Fridays or at the compost drop-off at the Downtown Long Beach Farmers Market at 4th and North Promenade from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fridays.
As the project is completely volunteer-led, drop-offs and compost pick-ups come with a suggested donation of $5. Residents can keep up with their work on Instagram at @lbcommunitycompost.
