THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay has a Halloween tradition that you won’t find in every city–it’s the annual Great Pumpkin Compost Collection! EcoSuperior, the City of Thunder Bay Infrastructure & Operations Department and ReCool Canada coordinate this event to help promote waste reduction and composting. Since its inception in 1995, the project has seen over 276 tonnes of pumpkins diverted from landfill to the municipal composting site.
Instead of sending all those jack-o-lanterns out to the curb in a trash bag, residents are asked to take their Halloween pumpkins to one of the three collection bins. Other compostable decorations such as cornstalks and straw can also be placed in the bin. Non-compostable items such as plastic bags and candles are not accepted.
This year’s collection is sponsored by ReCool Canada and Print Pros Plus. ReCool supplies the collection bins, Print Pros provides posters and signage, and the City’s Solid Waste and Recycling Facility waives the tipping fees. Collection bins are located at County Fair Plaza on Dawson Road, the Lakehead Labour Centre on Fort William Road, and the Westfort Playfield off Neebing Avenue.
The Pumpkin Compost Collection has become a great community tradition in Thunder Bay. It’s a cooperative effort between commercial sponsors, the public who participate by taking their jack-o-lanterns to the bins, and the City for composting them. The program diverts between 25 and 30 metric tonnes of organic materials from the landfill each year, which we can all feel good about.
The collection bins will be in place from November 1 – 12. The annual event is a continuation of Waste Reduction Week activities that took place October 15-21. The pumpkins will return to beautify the city as finished compost from the municipal composting site at the Solid Waste & Recycling Facility. This compost is made available to the public each spring (call 625-2195 for more information about picking up compost).