THE GREAT PUMPKIN DISPOSAL 

Recycle your pumpkins into compost! 

Once Halloween is over and your jack-o-lanterns are really getting scary, resist the urge to toss them in the trash – that would be a nightmare for the Resource Recovery Plant! Instead, take them to the drop-off bin on the north side of the plant along East Second Street for the Great Pumpkin Disposal program.

For nearly 50 years, the Resource Recovery Plant has converted garbage from Story County into refuse derived fuel (RDF) for the Ames Power Plant. Dry, combustible trash makes the best RDF. Food waste and garbage with high moisture content create challenges for producing high-quality fuel. Additionally, mushy vegetables like old pumpkins and gourds can contaminate dry garbage by creating a frightening mix that must be landfilled. By dropping your fall decor into bins on the north side of Resource Recovery, you're keeping them out of the landfill and giving them new life as compost!

Even more recycling opportunities are available at the Resource Recovery self-serve recycling center. Look for multiple recycling bins at 420 E. Second St. Take your glass, screw-top plastics, metals, mixed paper, cardboard, and food waste. Separating out and dropping off these products gives them a second life and keeps them out of the waste stream.

Learn more about additional recycling options in Story County.

Decaying pumpkins, gourds, corn, and harvest vegetables will be accepted in special bins on the north side of Resource Recovery through Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024.

Last year, 23,300 pounds of pumpkins and gourds were processed into compost and kept out of the landfill. The outdoor recycling center is open 24/7 year-round.