Your Halloween pumpkins deserve a second life! Find free pumpkin drop-off events in Kansas City, MO, learn what you can bring, and discover how to keep your jack-o’-lantern out of the landfill after Halloween.
Every fall, millions of pumpkins are tossed out after serving their seasonal purpose. But pumpkins are organic material that can be composted instead of sent to the landfill. This Halloween, KC Can Compost is teaming up with the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and local partners to make it easy to give your pumpkins a second life through The Great Pumpkin Rescue!
Whether you want to drop off your pumpkin at a free community event or learn more about composting in Kansas City, here’s how to get involved.
Join Us for a Great Pumpkin Rescue Events
Bring your pumpkins, enjoy a fall outing, and help keep valuable organic material out of the landfill. Both events offer free pumpkin drop-off for the Kansas City community.
🍺 Sunday, November 1 | Boulevard Brewing Company
11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Bring your pumpkins to Boulevard Brewing Company for free compost collection and join us for Pumpkins N’ Pints, a fundraiser supporting KC Can Compost!
Drop off your pumpkins, take part in pumpkin smashing at designated areas, enjoy a pint, and soak up the fall weather at Boulevard’s new Yard before the Chiefs game. It’s a fun way to celebrate the season, get some pumpkin-smashing energy out, and give your pumpkin a second life.
Where to find us: The Yard, on the second floor of the Tours & Rec parking garage, between the Rec Hall and the brewery.
Come for the pumpkins, stay for the fun, and support community composting while you’re at it!
🦁 Saturday, November 7 | Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium
10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Make a day of it at the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium! Bring the family, enjoy a day with the animals, and bring your pumpkins along for free compost drop-off in the Purple Lot.
While you’re there, stop by to meet the KC Can Compost team. We’ll be on-site to answer questions about KCMO’s free community composting program and share the other ways you can compost with us.
It’s a great day out with an even better impact!
What Can You Bring?
We want pumpkin drop-off to be easy. Before you head out, here’s what to know about what can be composted.
YES! Bring these:
Natural pumpkins, carved or uncarved
Natural gourds
Natural squash
NO THANKS! Leave these out:
Painted pumpkins
Pumpkins covered in glitter or synthetic decorations
Candle wax and other non-compostable materials
Plastic bags
Carved pumpkins are welcome as long as they’re free of non-compostable materials. Remove candles, lights, decorations, and any other items that don’t belong in the compost.
A Few Tips to Make Drop-Off Easy
Break it down if you can. Smaller pieces are easier to transport and make more room for pumpkins in collection containers, but whole pumpkins are welcome, too!
Bring a bag if you need one. A regular brown paper grocery bag or a BPI-certified compostable liner can help contain smaller pieces. Please skip plastic bags.
Keep it simple. You don’t need special equipment or a perfectly prepared pumpkin to participate. Bring your pumpkin, drop it off, and get back to enjoying your day!
Keep Composting Beyond Halloween
The Great Pumpkin Rescue is one more way to participate in composting across Kansas City. KC Can Compost works with community partners to make composting more accessible and help residents keep food scraps and other organic materials out of the landfill.
KCMO residents can also participate in the City’s free community composting program at designated drop-off locations throughout the city.
Want to explore your options? Learn more about KCMO’s community composting program or individual composting options through KC Can Compost.
Give Your Pumpkin a Better Ending
Your jack-o’-lantern brought some Halloween spirit to your home. Now it can do something good for the community, too.
Join KC Can Compost and the City of Kansas City, Missouri, for The Great Pumpkin Rescue. Bring your natural pumpkins and gourds to a free drop-off event, spread the word to your neighbors, and help turn Halloween leftovers into something useful.
Your pumpkin deserves a second life. Let’s rescue it!
See you at the drop-off!