LA Compost’s Annual Pumpkin Smash

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Smash it, Toss it, Compost it!

Four Locations across LA

November 6 - 28, 2026

Join LA Compost and partners for our 5th Annual Pumpkin Smash!

Send off spooky season by becoming a composter for the day! Bring your post-Halloween pumpkins to a local Compost Hub to smash, toss, and chop them into our compost piles. It’s a fun, hands-on way to give back to LA soil—so stick around afterward to meet local composters, explore the hub, or pitch in as a volunteer!

Why Smash Your Pumpkin?

Each year, around 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins end up in U.S landfills after Halloween. Without oxygen to help them break down properly, they release methane, a potent greenhouse gas that harms our environment and accelerates climate change

By smashing and composting your pumpkin, you keep organic waste out of landfills, cut harmful greenhouse gas emissions and return essential nutrients back to the soil.

Frequently Asked Questions

At this event, it is encouraged to BYOP (bring your own pumpkin). However, if you don’t have a pumpkin, you are more than welcome to observe or share with a fellow attendee.
No, we cannot accept pumpkins with paint, glitter, or any non-organic materials. Since your pumpkin will be composted and returned to the earth, it must be free of these items before drop-off.
Pumpkin smashing can get messy! Please wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and closed-toed shoes. We’ll provide safety goggles to protect your eyes. No additional supplies are needed.
All ages are welcome to observe at our Pumpkin Smash events! Minors under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. All participants are required to sign a waiver before smashing pumpkins.
We accept pumpkin drop-offs during event hours. You don’t need to stay or smash your pumpkin to participate.
Absolutely! Even after the Pumpkin Smash events, you can drop off your pumpkin at any LA Compost Food Scrap Collection site. We accept pumpkins year-round to add to our compost piles.