Gourd riddance: How to compost and donate pumpkins around D.C.

The big picture: Washingtonians have plenty of eco-friendly ways to chuck pumpkins through November.

🌱 Compost:

• D.C. residents can drop pumpkins at 40+ free compost sites across all wards — from weekend farmers markets to 24/7 Food Waste Smart Bins.
• Virginia and Maryland jurisdictions — including Alexandria and Arlington, plus Montgomery and Prince George's counties — run similar programs.

♻️ Recycle:

• Pumpkins for the People: Accepts both unblemished pumpkins for donation and jack-o'-lanterns for compost at D.C. and Alexandria sites (Nov. 1–25).
• Pumpkins for Pigs: The Leesburg nonprofit partners with farms across Virginia, Maryland and beyond for pumpkin feed and compost.

🔨 Smash:

• Cox Farms Pumpkin Madness: Watch pumpkins get catapulted and dropped at the Centreville farm (weekends through Nov. 8). Tickets
• Great Country Farms Pumpkin Chuckin': BYO jack-o'-lanterns to smash stations — pumpkins are then fed to animals or composted (Nov. 1–4). Tickets