Union County Urges Residents To Recycle Halloween Pumpkins

UNION COUNTY, NJ — Union County is bringing back its Pumpkin Recycling Program this November, giving residents five places to drop off Halloween pumpkins for recycling instead of disposal.

The program is being offered by the Union County Board of County Commissioners in coordination with the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning.

The collection period will run from Monday, Nov. 2, through Monday, Nov. 30.

Residents from any municipality in Union County may use any of the five drop-off locations, regardless of hometown. The sites are in Elizabeth, Kenilworth, Plainfield, Union Township and Westfield.

"Last year, Union County residents helped keep nearly ten tons of pumpkins out of the waste stream simply by choosing to recycle them," Union County Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek said. "That’s a meaningful result from a simple action. We encourage residents to use any of our five drop-off locations this November and help turn their Halloween pumpkins into a source of renewable energy."

According to the county, pumpkins collected at municipal departments of public works will be brought to an organic waste recycler in Elizabeth, where they will be turned into green energy.

The county said the program kept nearly 10 tons of pumpkins from entering the waste stream in 2025.

Instead, those pumpkins were digested and used to create electricity that feeds the power grid and powers homes and businesses in Union County.

Residents should bring only pumpkins to the drop-off sites. Other food waste will not be accepted, and candles and decorations must be removed before drop-off.

When the program ends, the pumpkins will be sent to the CORe facility in Elizabeth, which is operated by Waste Management, according to the county.

The county said the company's recycling process converts food waste into organic slurry, which is then used to enhance the production of biogas and other renewable products at local wastewater treatment plants.

The county also pointed to the broader issue of food waste.

According to the USDA figures included in the announcement, about 133 billion pounds of food is wasted every year in the United States, or 30 to 40 percent of the nation's food supply.

The county said organic recycling systems such as CORe offer a more sustainable alternative to sending food waste to landfills or burning it in waste-to-energy facilities.

More information about Union County recycling programs is available at www.ucnj.org/recycle or by calling 908-654-9890.

Quick links to county environmental programs are also available at www.ucnj.org/green-connection.

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