Pumpkins with a Purpose

Did you know that 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins are sent to the landfills during the Fall season? Organic waste makes up more than one-third (nearly 100 million tons!) of the U.S. municipal waste stream, putting strain on landfills and on those who manage them.

Pumpkins of various sizes in a large green compost bin, set on a fall backdrop.

This year, the Office of Sustainability, in partnership with O-Town Composting, hosted Pumpkins with a Purpose, its first holiday season pumpkin collection. In collaboration with Osceola Heritage Park Extension Services, the Osceola Library System, Osceola County Fleet Management and Fire Rescue and EMS, we were able to collect 2056 pounds of pumpkins! That is over a ton of organic waste diverted from our landfills being sent for composting. The resulting compost (nutrient-rich soil created from decomposed organic material) will be sent to support local farms and food systems!

Thank you for your participation and for making a difference. Check out the rest of our page to find more opportunities to decrease your environmental impact. Stay tuned for more details on Pumpkins with a Purpose 2026!

2,056lbs of pumpkins composted in Osceola County! Thank you to the Osceola County Office of Sustainability for making this possible!