Public Works Commissioner Erin Chute and Zero Waste Program Manager Katie Weatherseed on behalf of the Brookline Department of Public Works are excited to announce an opportunity for community members to “Go Green After Halloween.”
The DPW will host a Pumpkin Toss and Costume Drive to ensure that residents can dispose of their festive Halloween waste in an environmentally-responsible manner.
The event will take place on Thursday, November 09, 2023, between the hours of 01:30 p.m. and 06:30 p.m., at West Centre Street Parking Lot, during the Brookline Farmer’s Market.
Brookline DPW’s “Go Green After Halloween” event gives Brookline residents the opportunity to reduce their Halloween and Autumnal waste.
Residents are encouraged to bring their pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns to the event, and then test their aim by tossing these out-of-season decorations into compost bins.
Over 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins are thrown away in the U.S. each fall. Composting these items reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps build healthy soils to nurture future generations of not just pumpkins but all manner of fruits and vegetables.
Please note that pumpkins must be free of non-biodegradable materials, such as paint, candles/wax, and glitter, in order to be composted.
DPW will also accept donations of gently used costumes (of all sizes) in order to both reduce textile waste and provide costumes to community members in need next Halloween. All costumes will be donated to Lincoln School and distributed during their Pumpkinfest event in 2024.
“Go Green After Halloween” is being held in partnership with Black Earth Compost, which accepts a wide variety of organic food waste. Black Earth Compost offers curbside composting services to Brookline residents looking to reduce their household waste. To learn more about composting opportunities in Brookline, please visit here.
“Brookline DPW is excited to offer this fun opportunity for Brookline residents to dispose of their Halloween-related waste the right way,” said Katie Weatherseed, DPW Zero Waste Program Manager. “By keeping these items out of the trash, residents can help us move the needle towards achieving Brookline’s zero waste goals.”
The West Centre Street Parking Lot is accessible from the Coolidge Corner “T” station, as well as the Shailer Street and Harvard Street stop on the Route 66 bus. Please contact DPW’s Highway and Sanitation Division at zerowaste@brooklinema.gov with any questions regarding the event.
