In celebration of the end of Halloween, the City of San Luis Obispo hosted its first-ever Pumpkin Smash event at Emerson Park on Friday.
Community members brought their Halloween pumpkins to the event, where they could then toss them at several targets or into a green waste bin.
The Pumpkin Smash also included composting demonstrations, food trucks, and lawn games.
Organizers say attendees had the opportunity to learn about how the pumpkins will become valuable compost.
"Composting is extremely important because when food waste goes to the landfill, it turns into a really harsh greenhouse gas emission called methane. So when we put it in our green bin, it goes to our local anaerobic digester and it turns into nutrient-rich compost and natural gas for our community," Meg Buckingham, the San Luis Obispo Solid Waste & Recycling Manager, told KSBY.
City officials say the natural gas generated from the pumpkins will be used as electricity to power 600 homes a year.
