The Comox Strathcona waste management (CSWM) service’s “Pumpkin Smash”, held last weekend in the Comox Valley and Campbell River, was a resounding success, diverting approximately 12 tonnes (11,740 kilograms) of pumpkin waste from going to the landfills in those two locations.
All the pumpkins that were smashed at the event were transported to the CSWM’s organics compost facility at the waste management centre in Cumberland.
“We have gone from collecting four and a half tonnes in 2011, to seven tonnes in 2012, to 12 tonnes in 2013,” said Koreen Gurak, CVRD’s manager of communications. “Residents have recognized that composting organic food waste is a simple thing to do to help save valuable space in the landfill and cut the greenhouse gas emissions that would be generated if the pumpkins ended up in the landfill.”
Timed to coincide with Halloween, the “Pumpkin Smash” attracts a larger crowd each time it is held, with hundreds of families coming out this year. It was a perfect opportunity for people to learn about composting as a means of waste reduction.
The “Pumpkin Smash” represents the last event of the season for the compost education centres. For more information on waste reduction initiatives and programs, visit www.cswm.ca.
The Comox Strathcona Waste Management (CSWM) service is a function of the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) and is responsible for two regional waste management centres that serve the Comox Valley and Campbell River, as well as a range of transfer stations and smaller waste-handling and recycling facilities for the electoral areas of the CVRD and the Strathcona Regional District. The CSWM service manages over 100,000 tonnes of waste and recycled material and oversees a number of diversion and education programs.