Smashing Pumpkins ~ coming to Bedford.
No, not the band.
Literally.
The climate crisis advocacy group Mothers Out Front is making plans for a public event to demonstrate the power of composting.
Targeted for Nov. 5, the Saturday afternoon following Halloween, the two-hour event will give residents a unique chance to smash their holiday pumpkins and load the pieces into a composting container.
Renu Bostwick of Mothers Out Front described the plans to the town Energy and Sustainability Committee at its virtual meeting Thursday. “This would be a good opportunity to promote composting and highlight the benefit,” said Emily Prince, committee chair,
There are a lot of details yet to be determined, Bostwick acknowledged. The group is negotiating with composting vendors and exploring possible funding sources – perhaps the town budget, the Cultural Council, or Mothers Out Front.
The concept, Bostwick said, is “people sign up and come with a baseball bat.” The sponsor is trying to calculate variables like the composting truck’s pumpkin fragment capacity, number of smashing stations, and the need for volunteers. Bostwick said potential locations are being assessed for traffic impact, parking, and simultaneous activities.
She noted that decorated pumpkins, or those with embedded candle wax, won’t be compostable.
Bostwick said the town’s refuse and recycling administrator told her that pumpkins are considered food waste and can’t legally be recycled in the town. Committee member Margot Fleischman, who also is a member of the Select Board, noted the composting event will help divert organics from the waste stream
Fleischman and Prince suggested that the organizers find a way for residents to drop off used pumpkins if they don’t have the time or the inclination for smashing.
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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