October 30, 2024
New Bedford – There are many options for giving your Halloween pumpkins second lives while keeping them out of the landfill. Set them out with the City of New Bedford’s curbside yard waste pickup, drop them off with yard waste at the Recycling Center, or place them in your backyard compost bin.
Set Out for Weekly Yard Waste Pickup
Capitol Waste Services will collect unpainted pumpkins and cornstalks along with grass, leaves, and small twigs (not to exceed 1/4 inch in diameter) on your yard waste collection day. Yard waste is collected on the weekday after trash and recycling collection. If your trash and recycling are collected on Fridays, your yard waste is collected on Mondays. Even if you do not have other yard waste, place pumpkins and cornstalks in a paper yard waste bag or loose in a barrel (not a City provided trash or recycling cart) and set it at the curb by 7 a.m. Please do not make bags or barrels too heavy. Yard waste collection ends for the season the week of December 9, 2024.
The yard waste from New Bedford residents is delivered to the Crapo Hill Landfill where it is composted. If you made a jack-o’-lantern, remove all lights and other items before placing the pumpkin out for yard waste collection. Please remove any twine, rope, wire, or decorations from cornstalks. This will ensure the finished compost doesn’t have any unwanted items that will not easily break down into nutrient-rich soil amendment.
Call Capitol Waste Services at (617) 569-1718 with questions regarding curbside collection of yard waste, trash, and recycling.
Drop Off at Recycling Center
Unpainted pumpkins and cornstalks can be dropped off at the Recycling Center at 1103 Shawmut Avenue. Place them in the grass and leaves section of the yard waste area at the Recycling Center. The Recycling Center hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, noon to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Please follow the instructions above for preparing pumpkins and cornstalks for drop off.
Compost in Backyard Bin
Unpainted pumpkins and cornstalks can be placed in your backyard compost bin along with fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, grass, leaves, and twigs.
The Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District sells low-cost compost bins to New Bedford residents. Purchase a compost bin at the Crapo Hill Landfill Scale House, 300 Samuel Barnet Blvd., New Bedford, Monday – Friday 7:15 a.m.-3:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m.-10:45 a.m. The Earth Machine and the New Age Composter are both available at a cost of $25 each. Cash, check, or money order only. No credit or debit cards.
Contact the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District by email at Marissa@gnbrrmdistrict.org or by phone at (508) 979-1493 about composting, recycling, or waste reduction.