Instead of sending Halloween pumpkins to the landfill, residents had an opportunity to put them to good use during the fourth annual Pumpkin Smash at Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens on Saturday, Nov. 7.
The free event, held on the festival grounds at 7402 Lake Katherine Drive in Palos Heights, gave residents an opportunity to keep their old jack-o’-lanterns and gourds out of landfills.
“This gets pumpkins out of landfills,” said Gareth Blakesley, Lake Katherine’s director and chief naturalist.
Pumpkins may seem harmless when tossed in the trash, but they create environmental problems when sent to landfills. As they break down, they produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Decomposing pumpkins also release water that can filter through landfill waste and pollute nearby waterways…